The Routledge Handbook of Women’s Experiences of Criminal Justice

This Handbook brings together the voices of a range of contributors interested in the many varied experiences of women in criminal justice systems, and who are seeking to challenge the status quo.

Although there is increasing literature and research on gender, and certain aspects of the criminal justice system (often Western focused), there is a significant gap in the form of a Handbook that brings together these important gendered conversations. This essential book explores research and theory on how women are perceived, handled, and experience criminal justice within and across different jurisdictions, with particular consideration of gendered and disparate treatment of women as law-breakers. There is also consideration of women’s experiences through an intersectional lens, including race and class, as well as feminist scholarship and activism. The Handbook contains 47 unique chapters with nine overarching themes (Lessons from history and theory; Routes into the criminal justice system; Intersectionality; Sentencing and the courts and community punishments; Specific offences; Incarcerated women’s experiences; Mothers and families; Rehabilitation and reintegration; Practitioner relationships), and each theme includes contributions from different countries as well as the experiences of contributors from different stages in their own journey.

International and interdisciplinary in scope, this Handbook is essential reading for scholars and students of criminology, sociology, social policy, social work, and law. It will also be of interest to practitioners, such as social workers, probation officers, prison officers, and policy makers.

Isla Masson is a Criminologist and Researcher at The Open University. Her research interests include women in the criminal justice system, motherhood, incarceration, remand, care leavers and restorative justice. Her book Incarcerating Motherhood (Routledge, 2019) was based on her doctoral research, which explored the longevity of short terms of incarceration on mothers. She is a trustee at The Boaz Project, which is a therapeutic work environment for adults with learning disabilities, and previously volunteered with the Independent Monitoring Board.

Natalie Booth is a Senior Lecturer in Criminology at Bath Spa University. Her doctorate explored ’maternal imprisonment and family life’ resulting in a book revealing the previously untold experiences of those charged with the responsibility of looking after children of female prisoners ’from the caregivers’ perspectives’ (2020). Her written work also contributes to our understanding about the maintenance of relationships and family contact during imprisonment, mothers and women in prison and developments in penal policy relating to women and families.