Women and Crime

  • Tracy Thurman, married to abusive husband, Charles Buck Thomas. After the attempt on her life in full view of neighbors and officers, Tracy sued the city in Connecticut arguing that she was not protected by law enforcement. Her suit, which she won, was on what grounds – a violation of numerous amendments, but which one amendment in particular.
  • Cycle of Violence: has a pattern, there are stages. They are in the packet. Also know the 4 comments above the stages, that over time abuse becomes more frequent and severe, etc.
  • What did the text chapter say about relationships that are abusive and old/”older” age? Does it stop, or change, or get redirected?
  • We don’t know what’s happening behind closed doors in peoples homes, anyone can be abused
  • Domestic Violence knows no boundaries – it can be between same sex couples, it can be a man abusing a woman, and a woman abusing man…
  • growing up in a household with domestic violence at least doubles (some estimate higher) the chance of that child living in a household with domestic violence when an adult, whether it is being abused or being the abuser or a combination of those.
  • in domestic violent relationships the highest risk time of being a murder victim is when:
  • a women is more likely to be abused by her husband than being mugged, raped by a stranger, and injured in a car crash, combined! Home sweet, safe home
  • 1 out of 4 women will experience domestic violence (also known as intimate partner violence)
  • Every day approximately 3 or more women are killed by their husband, domestic violence frequency is said to be every 9 seconds.
  • Deadliest room in the house and most dangerous room in the house are:
  • domestic violence rates are especially high among the military and law enforcement
  • What is the connection between pets and domestic violence?
  • What is the key/foundation to the power and control wheel?
  • if someone says they are going to kill you, you should take it ___________!
  • Power and Control Wheel: Abuse is not random, it increases in severity and frequency over time
  • takes about 5 to 7 times of leaving the abuser before the “victim”/”abuse” stays away
  • domestic violence is more often referred to now as intimate partner violence because of confusion about the term when/because:
  • domestic violence is the most frequent calls police receive, dangerous for them as well.
  • Why not leave the abuser? (This is a victim-blaming) Why don’t people ask: Why does the abuser stay? and Why don’t they leave?
  • The abuse packet has a great many things about safety planning. What was the conclusion made about the plan
  • Rule of Thumb
  • Curtain Rule
  • Stitch Rule
  • Minneapolis Domestic Violence Experiment: the study helped in the enactment of mandatory arrest procedures because the study showed that there is a 50% lower of domestic violence recidivism
  • 3 Choices of Arrest at officers discretion, mandatory arrest, preferred arrest (
  • mandatory domestic violence arrests do not need an arrest warrant)
  • WI has which of those 3?
  • pro arrest (duel arrest) – Dual arrest is a problem, Deller, among others, contends that this approach is lazy policing (not taking the time to actually sort things out)
  • Lautenberg Amendment: if you are arrested for domestic violence you are not allowed to legally own or possess a_______. (Plus a DV arrest also makes it hard to get certain types of jobs, apartments…)

Child Abuse:

  • Which is the most common type of child maltreatment/abuse in WI and nationally is
  • Highest risk age of being abused:
  • Spanking, which country was the first to ban spanking? difficulty in drawing a line between discipline and abuse.
  • Two most common items used? But what are the most common means of abuse – the use of hands and feet (hitting, kicking, stomping, punching…..)
  • Neglect is not criminal child neglect in Wisconsin if the neglect is due to ________. (Answer: poverty)
  • What is the difference between discipline and abuse?

Incarceration:

The amendment that protects against cruel and unusual punishment is _______.

D.O.C. stands for the Dept. ____________

Difference between jails and prisons.

Which type of incarceration has the most people confined? (state prisons, local jails or federal prisons) Is it the same answer for women?

  • U.S; is #1 in incarceration in the world As a matter of fact: The U.S. is roughly___ % of the worlds population but we have ______% of the worlds incarcerated population. U.S. is also number ____ in the incarceration of women.

The difference between WI and Minnesota and the incarceration rates is striking, What is the difference and why?

What type of Tough on Crime policy does the state of Wisconsin have (it was implemented Dec 31, 1999) ?

All of this goes back to what is the purpose of incarceration, retribution or rehabilitation?

Retribution is essentially a nice term for __________ after a certain period of time.

What is the purpose of incarceration/prison from the U.S. perspective

Always keep in mind that most, MOST, inmates are ______________ at some point in time.

President ___________was the first sitting U.S. President to visit a federal prison. The president was pushing to reform the prison system in the U.S.

Difference between jails and prisons? nationally which holds the largest number of inmates? The majority of people in jail have:

What are conjugal visits? Benefits? How many states offer this?

How many prison nurseries are there in the U.S., benefits to the child and recidivism, major complaints against prison nurseries include:

Suicides more frequent in which type of institution? (Jail or Prison) When do the majority of suicides occur? (How long incarcerated?) Who more likely – Him or Her? The three risk factors connected to suicide attempts and women in jail.

If each U.S. state were considered to be a country, which state ranks number 1 in the U.S. as well as the world for having the highest incarceration?

  • Prisons in WI…. name of WI’s predominant female prison
  • _____% of state prison populations, on average, including in WI is female.
  • Females cost more then males on average due things including :
  • What state has the highest incarceration rate of Black men and Native American men in the U.S.?
  • Reported % of females have a mental health issue is higher or lower than males.
  • 3% of prison population are females sentenced to serve life But 1 in _______ who are incarcerated in the U.S. received a life sentence.
  • people “on paper” (on paper means on parole, probation, incarcerated) most states prevent them from voting while incarcerated, but once “off paper” they can resume their right to vote including WI. Florida on the other hand, just as one example, convicted felons lose their right to vote forever. Two states, Maine and Vermont inmates, or those on paper never lose their right to vote.
  • Prisons in the US compared to Western EU countries
  • 1 out of every 37 Americans are “on paper” (in prison, on parole, or probation)
  • Which is actually the largest program – prison/jails or parole or probation in the nation?
  • Which program from the above question actually has the largest number of women under its supervision?
  • Are more people in state prisons or jails?
  • Jails – churn and major issue or point of interest about the jail population is that most have__________________________________________.
  • 1st female prison was in _________________(text) where they learned domestic skills so that they could find a husband once they were released (see text)
  • Women’s Incarceration Rates increased was especially due to the ____________, and also mandatory sentencing (taking away discretion from judges).
  • Prisons and Pregnancy about 5-10% of women go to prison pregnant
  • WI failed at prenatal care for pregnant inmates, one reason in particular is ____________
  • Prisons for women tend to be: what type (level) __________and located where _____________? Even worse for federal prisoners because:

Prison is Harder for Women

  • women tend to suffer more from anxiety, and do more self harm
  • women are sexually harassed more
  • pregnancies and related issues
  • women are charged with petty infractions so they are not hardened criminals
  • More sexual assaults’ among Him or Her
  • they have children
  • Children and Prisons
  • children do not visit their mothers as much as their fathers (why?)
  • the incarcerated mother is much more likely to lose custody of a child than the incarcerated father is
  • prisons are not obligated to give pregnant inmates extra food, Taycheedah does but not much.
  • What item is used for currency in prison?
  • What is the problem with offering fresh fruit to inmates?
  • What is the WI DOC now calling inmates in a move to appear more compassionate?
  • What is Gerrymandering?

Prisons and Jails are frequently referred to as the New Asylums, why?

The Whole Pie: What percentage of people in local jails are not convicted of any crime?

Which type of system holds the majority of inmates – jail, prison, or…. _____

____ in 5 incarcerated people are locked up for a drug offense?

Sex Workers/Prostitution –

What is the difference between sex work and prostitution?

Many types of female prostitutes, but the only firm term for a male prostitute has been a Gigolo. Amsterdam’s Prostitutes – much more likely to not in street, but instead work _____________ and are unionized

U.S. and prostitution, and in particular Nevada-

What has been a whole game changer for prostitution? (Technology)

Legality: the status of being a prostitute vs. the act of prostitution, what’s legal and illegal”

“Hooker” the term comes from where?

Estimated number of women forced into prostitution is low but what are the problems with this low estimate?

The number 1 reason for being a sex worker?

The legal term for pimping is actually _____________.

Mann Act –

Sex Trafficking is the 3rd largest criminal global enterprise after ____________ & __________________.

The largest group of people trafficked are ____________ and primarily for ____________. Men are more likely to be trafficked to be used as ____________. Most who are trafficked are trafficked in what country? Most female traffickers are involved in what part of trafficking?

Death Penalty

What were the Supreme Court cases involving the death penalty, what shut it down (moratorium) in 1972 and what reinstated it in 1976.

Number of men and women executed since the reinstatement of the death penalty in 1976. (roughly for him, exact for her)

Who is Lisa Montgomery?

How many states currently have the death penalty? The state that consistently executes the most people each year? Most common means of execution since the reinstatement in 1976, the modern era of capital punishment?

The issue with lethal inection?

The majority of the women currently on death row are there for killing ______________.

Trend in giving sentences of death and the trend in executions in the U.S.?

WI executions?

What is the only other industrialized nation that has the death penalty?

Film: Death Row Women

Focused on Lynda Lyons Block and Velma Barfield