This essay identifies areas of analysis which David Garland neglects in The Culture of Control. The essential argument being that greater attention to the influence of feminism and the treatment of female offenders and victims would have enriched his interpretation of the culture of control. The essay suggests that the treatment of women in criminal justice matters exemplifies the apparently dualistic and polarised penal policies that Garland describes so well. The recent huge increases in the number of women sentenced to (...) imprisonment, in particular, are inexplicable, and point to a critical paradox in criminal justice system thinking. The essay also includes with some reflections on the future of crime control in relation to women. One important question is whether or not the future of crime control is inevitably or necessarily gendered. Thus the essay touches on the gender neutral versus gender specific and equality versus difference debates and their irreconcilable elements, as well as on possible ways of dealing with them, and concludes with some thoughts on the potential of renewed interest in the concept of citizenship and justice. (shrink)

This research addresses the questions: “How do ties to children and other family members influence Black drug offenders' likelihood of incarceration?” and “Is the influence similar for men and women?” Predictions were tested using 1991-1993 data for 2,785 men and 499 women convicted of cocaine offenses. Logistic regression models containing key legal and extralegal characteristics were estimated for men and women combined and separately. Measures of prior conviction and prior drug use were found to be powerful predictors of sentence for (...) both men and women. Findings suggest that judges consider “Does the offender live with a child or a family member?” and, possibly, “Is there a family member readily available to assume child care responsibilities if we incarcerate a mother who lives with a child?” when sentencing women. Among men, legal characteristics such as offense seriousness were more salient. (shrink)