9781422280058

Women and

Crime

Words to Understand

The women whose stories are described here faced different situations, yet they have this in common: in every case, circumstances drove these women to make choices and take actions that would greatly and negatively impact them for the rest of their lives. They Were “Better Off Dead,” She Said Jeanne Anne Wright dropped out of high school when she discovered she was pregnant. This pregnancy would result in the first of four children: three by one man, the fourth by another. Neither father supported Jeanne Anne, and she went on welfare and signed up for food stamps. The stress of poverty and single parenting proved too much for Jeanne to bear. The 25-year-old tookher children toNewJersey’sCooperRiver,where shewaited for each child to fall asleep—and then dropped them into the river’s swift current. All four drowned. Jeanne Anne pleaded guilty to the four murders, explaining that she felt her children were “better off dead.” Though diagnosed with chronic Asylum: Protection from arrest and extradition. Borderline personality disorder: A psychological condition characterized by emotional instability and self-destructive, manipulative, and erratic behavior. Exploitation: The unfair treatment or use of somebody or someone for personal gain. Parole: The early release of a prisoner with specified requirements, such as the need to report to authorities for a specified period.

A plethora of crimes can land any individual behind bars. Murder, drug possession or trafficking, and grand larceny are only a few examples. Women behind bars experience many of the same conditions that men do.

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Women Incarcerated