Gendered Responses to Male Offending in Barbados: Patriarchal Perceptions and Their Effect on Offender Treatment

Men are more likely to be incarcerated than women, but this manuscript argues that decisions made by stakeholders are gendered based on patriarchal perceptions and stereotypes. This study examines the extent to which these factors are taken into consideration by the police, judiciary, shop managers, and proprietors in cases involving shoplifting and compares them to testimony from men incarcerated at Her Majestys Prison.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 124 pages
Publication date: 29 April 2022
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

It is widely believed that men are more likely to commit crimes than women. This pervasive notion is primarily supported by the statistics, with most jurisdictions reporting a significantly lower number of incarcerated women and girls compared to men and boys. However, this manuscript contends that the decisions made by the various stakeholders involved in the incarceration of men are inherently gendered. These decisions are influenced by patriarchal perceptions and stereotypes related to the traditional roles of men and women, which in turn shape their motivations and offending behavior.

Limited research has been conducted to examine the nature of these perceptions and their impact on incarceration patterns. Surprisingly, this topic remains absent from the research agenda of Caribbean criminologists. In order to address this gap, this book employs qualitative data from Barbados to examine the extent to which these factors are considered by the police, judiciary, shop managers, and proprietors in cases involving shoplifting. By analyzing the gendered decisions made by these individuals, the book aims to assess the extent to which these factors are taken into account before incidents escalate to the justice system.

Furthermore, this book seeks to juxtapose these assumptions against testimony from men incarcerated at Her Majesty's Prison. The significant male representation in Caribbean prisons when compared to their female counterparts warrants an investigation into the factors that may contribute to differential treatment as individuals navigate through the justice system. Using data from Barbados, the present study aims to fulfill this need.

Dimension: 216 x 138 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780367499518