Women Offenders’ Perception of Procedural Justice from Arrest to Parole

• In Event: Women, Crime and Justice: Gendered Experiences and Perceptions

Abstract

Research on the nature of procedural justice has offered much insight into the demographic and ecological patterns of this form of justice. Studies show that minorities are more likely to report unjust treatment, women value fair procedures more than men, and economically distressed neighborhoods generally have high levels of police involvement and therefore, greater opportunities for conflicts between citizens and officers. Here we build from the insights of previous research in two ways. First, we examine how female parolees’ perceptions of fair treatment are shaped by experiences with the police. Second, we investigate the interplay of female parolees’ perceptions of treatment they received by a series of actors in the criminal justice system. The analysis reveals parolees’ thinking about why they feel there was or there was not procedural justice, and thus provides a gender-relevant reconceptualization of the nature of procedural justice from women offenders’ standpoint.

Authors

• Jennifer E. Cobbina, Michigan State University

• Merry Morash, Michigan State University

• Sandi W. Smith, Michigan State University

• Deborah Kashy, Michigan State University