Mary Dodge

Collateral Costs of Imprisonment for Women: Complications of Reintegration

This article examines issues of family separation and community isolation as experienced by women on parole. Qualitative data, based on unstructured, in-depth interviews with 54 former inmates, offer retrospective reflections and current accounts that delineate many of the unintended costs of imprisonment. The narratives portray the difficulties these women experienced in parenting, relationships, and community reintegration. Social stigma and self-shame are important definitional and reactional elements of their efforts to reestablish social bonds. The collateral costs of imprisonment are related to diminished investment in self and others that is created by continued internal and external shaming.

Law Enforcement Officers’ Attitudes About Domestic Violence

This exploratory study examines attitudes about domestic violence among officers from a large urban police department. Additionally, this study examines whether attitudes vary according to officer characteristics. A total of 309 police officers responded to a survey that explored their attitudes and perceptions of domestic violence incidents. The results show that officers are well versed in handling domestic violence, though self-reports indicate that police personnel who respond to the calls are concerned about their limited amount of discretion. Additionally, when comparing attitudes based on officer characteristics, more similarities are found than differences. Implications for future research are discussed.

African‐American policewomen: An exploration of professional relationships

Explores the professional, job‐related relationships of African‐American policewomen. The difficulties black women police officers face often are exacerbated by the intersection of race and gender that influence their self‐perceptions and the perceptions of those with whom they interact, including other officers and members of the community. Additionally, job‐related issues and interactions appear to impact community relations, particularly in circumstances involving minorities. The experiences of the women suggest that marginalization continues to be problematic for some minorities working in law enforcement. The research is based on qualitative data obtained from black female police officers in a large urban city.

Women's accounts of their prison experiences: A retrospective view of their subjective realities

Abstract This article examines the subjective experiences of previously imprisoned women. Their retrospective narratives of prison life reveal overt behavioral and underlying structural tensions that create an atmosphere of fear and violence. Furthermore, attitudes of indifference between inmates and correctional staff often contribute to fostering an environment of neglect. The study, based on in-depth interviews with fifty-four female subjects, describes and analyzes several aspects of the socialization process for inmates as related by women on parole. The research shows that the “pains of imprisonment” for women are suffered to a greater degree than previously acknowledged. Prison for these women is a social world filled with anxiety and, perhaps, represents a punishment well beyond what the law intended.

Maintaining Separate Spheres in Policing: Women on SWAT Teams

The Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team may represent the last vestige of male dominance in law enforcement as an assignment that remains grounded in traditional masculine notions of policing. Although SWAT units have become a prominent feature of modern American policing, there are few female team members. In an attempt to develop some insight into why women rarely serve on SWAT teams, the present research examines the viewpoints of a sample of 30 male and 31 female police officers on the gendered aspects of SWAT assignment. This exploratory study represents the first qualitative attempt to uncover police officers’ perspectives and thoughts on the “fit” of women on SWAT teams. The results show that the majority of officers, whether implicitly or explicitly, and regardless of gender, agree that the presence of women on SWAT teams presents a variety of challenges.

Reporting Violent Victimization to the Police: A Focus on Black, White, Asian and Hispanic Adolescent Victims

Explorations of patterns of why and when citizens report crime to police are an important area of study in the field of criminology and criminal justice. Initial National Crime Survey data suggest that a substantial proportion of crime went unreported to the authorities (i.e., law enforcement reports as reflected by the Uniform Crime Reports). The purpose of this study is to enhance our understanding about reporting violence against adolescents to the police. This research examines the extent and nature of reporting violence against juveniles to the police, and specifically focuses on how reporting differs between white, black, Asian and Hispanic adolescents. This area is important to investigate to ascertain whether all groups have equal access to the benefits of the Criminal Justice system. Additionally, understanding why adolescent victims or their agents fail to engage the criminal justice system in the wake of a violent victimization is relevant to the development of policy addressing weaknesses in the police response and the particular vulnerabilities of minority victims and their communities.

An exploration of crime by policewomen

The current study explores criminal conduct by policewomen. This information is increasingly relevant as police departments hire more women, especially if the crimes committed by policewomen differ from those of policemen. News searches identified 105 cases depicting arrests of policewomen. A content analysis was performed. Findings indicate differences exist between crimes committed by policemen and policewomen, as well as by policewomen and women in general. Crime by policewomen is most often profit-motivated. Policewomen had fewer years of service and lower ranks, committed less violent crimes, and were more likely to receive suspensions for off-duty crimes compared to their male peers.

Do Men and Women Perceive White-Collar and Street Crime Differently? Exploring Gender Differences in the Perception of Seriousness, Motives, and Punishment

Public perceptions of white-collar crime have shifted from indifference to awareness based on recent, highly publicized corporate collapses and Ponzi schemes. This research explores perceptions of white-collar crime with a focus on gender. Participants (N = 900) read one of six crime scenarios involving either a white-collar crime (Ponzi scheme, embezzlement, corporate crime) or a street crime (auto theft, burglary, prostitution) committed by a male or female offender. Respondents then rated the behavior on seriousness, harshness of punishment, and offender motivation (i.e., greed and stress). Overall, the results support previously observed patterns showing that citizens see white-collar crime as a serious societal problem. Ponzi schemes are seen as more serious than the three street crimes. The findings also show differences between male and female respondents on the issues of offense seriousness, punishment, and offender motivation, but attitudes toward offenders’ gender are more ambiguous.

From Pink to White with Various Shades of Embezzlement: Women Who Commit White-Collar Crimes

In 2001, Martha Stewart’s image was scorched by allegations of an insider-trading scandal that suggested she had cooked up a scheme to sell 3,928 shares of ImClone stock based on privileged information that the company would fail to receive FDA approval of a lucrative cancer drug. Overall, the core aspects of the case and seriousness of the crime were relatively insignificant during a time of major corporate wrongdoing, including the collapse of Enron and WorldCom. Stewart’s powerful home-making image, corporate status, and gender, however, stood out as unique attributes compared to previous and contemporary white-collar offenders. Much of the controversy surrounding her indictment, trial, and sentence was brought about by the intense media maelstrom it created, and gender-related characteristics clearly emerged as variables that contributed to the hoopla. The Stewart case, along with those of other prominent female offenders such as Leona Helmsley, Diane Brooks, and Lea Fastow, offer insight into the historical and current debates surrounding gendered varieties of white-collar crimes.

How Hate Crime Legislation Shapes Gay and Lesbian Target Groups An Analysis of Social Construction, Law, and Policy

Supporters of hate crime legislation argue the laws are a positive development designed to promote social equality and encourage political participation. Critics claim the laws are patronizing and disempowering. Existing research addresses neither the impact of hate crime laws on designated social groups nor attempts to verify assumptions about legislation and the social and political status of protected minorities. Sexual orientation, one of the most controversial categories, resulted in considerable social and political debate. This research explores the addition of sexual orientation to state hate crime law and how inclusion of this target group affects the social construction of gays and lesbians. Data are drawn from a sample of 12 daily newspapers in six states. Content and time-series analyses were used to explore social construction. The results indicate that inclusion in hate crime protections fails to have a positive impact on the construction of the group, and the discussion offers important policy implications.