Girls Gone Bad
Women, Crime & Criminal Justice
http://davycrockettsalmanack.blogspot.com/2013/05/comic-gallery-crimes-by-women-1948-49.html
In the examination of arrest statistics, self-report data, and victimization survey responses,
a strong and persistent gender pattern emerges: males commit more crime than females and
the types of crime males commit are generally more serious. The relationship between
gender and crime is so strong that criminologists Gottfredson and Hirschi once proclaimed:
“Men are always and everywhere more likely than women to commit criminal acts.” In this
course we examine the outlier: women who engage in crime. Using a sociological
framework, we’ll answer questions such as: what kinds of crime do women commit and is
the gender gap now closing? Why do women commit crime? How does the criminal justice
system react to female criminals? How do women experience imprisonment?
_______________________________________________________________________________
Professor:
Office:
Email:
Office Phone:
Office Hours:
Annette Nierobisz
234 Leighton Hall
anierobi@carleton.edu
(507) 222-4114
T: 9:45-11:15 am; W: 3:30-5:00 pm; by appointment, if necessary.
______________________________________________________________________________________
Course Learning Objectives
Girls Gone Bad is a QRE course within the SoAn Department. In addition to learning about female
criminality and criminal justice reactions, you will learn how sociologists ask questions about
crime, the sources of data sociologists use when studying crime, and how sociological findings are
presented. By the end of the course, you will be better equipped to question popular assumptions
about female criminality and be more knowledgeable about how sociological perspectives inform
criminal justice policies and practices.
As a SoAn course, we will concentrate on the following three departmental “student learning
outcomes”:

“Connect information about historical and contemporary socio-cultural phenomena”

“Formulate appropriate sociological research questions about socio-cultural phenomena”

“Apply sociological theory to analyze socio-cultural phenomena”
Course Material
The following four books are required reading. Additional material is found online or posted to the
course Moodle.

Giordano, Peggy C. 2010. Legacies of Crime: A Follow-Up of the Children of Highly
Delinquent Girls and Boys. New York: Cambridge University Press.

Kruttschnitt, Candace and Rosemary Gartner. 2005. Marking Time in the Golden State:
Women’s Imprisonment in California. New York: Cambridge University Press.

Maher, Lisa. 1997. Sexed Work: Gender, Race, and Resistance in a Brooklyn Drug
Market. New York: Oxford University Press.

Miller, Jody. 2001. One of the Guys: Girls, Gangs, and Gender. New York: Oxford
University Press.
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Reading Requirements
Readings must be completed before class. You are expected to review the material closely, take
thorough notes, and bring your thoughts to class along with your copy of the assigned material.
Two types of readings are assigned: essays and research studies. When reviewing a research study,
you are expected to identify the author(s), the research question(s), the method(s) used, and the key
findings. For all readings, be prepared to share what is clear to you, what still needs clarification,
and how core ideas in the text connect to other works we have read.
* Be aware that course material occasionally depicts violence, profanity, and unwanted sexual
activity. This material reveals the ways in which people experience and participate in crime, and
introduces the environments sociologists may choose to immerse themselves in when they study
crime.
Course Requirements
Writing Assignment. There are two options for your written assignment. Regardless of which
option you choose, be advised that due dates may occur on non-class days. In these instances, a
hard copy is required in my SoAn mailbox by 5 pm on the due date.
Option One: students selecting this option will conduct a book presentation (worth 10 points) with
a small group of classmates. After the presentation, each student from these groups will write a
review essay (worth 30 points) that compares and contrasts the presentation book with its paired
course book, and presents a thoughtful critique. The following four books are available for
presentation and will be assigned on a “first-come, first-served” basis:

Bourgois, Philippe. 2002. In Search of Respect: Selling Crack in El Barrio, 2nd Ed. New
York: Cambridge University Press.

Laub, John H. and Robert Sampson. 2003. Shared Beginnings, Divergent Lives:
Delinquent Boys to Age 70. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

Rios, Victor. 2011. Punished: Policing the Lives of Black and Latino Boys. New York:
NYU Press.

Simon, Jonathan. 2014. Mass Incarceration on Trial: A Remarkable Court Decision and
the Future of Prisons in America. New York: The New Press.
Option Two: students selecting this option will write a 14 page term paper (worth 35 points, in
total) on a topic of established interest to sociological criminologists. You will begin the process by
developing a research proposal, followed by a first draft, and final paper. On the last day of class,
term papers will be briefly presented to the class (worth 5 points). Be cautioned that if I find the
topic and research question outlined in your proposal to be inadequate, you will be required to
pursue option one.
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Mid-term test. A 25 point mid-term test will be held May 11. The test will cover material
discussed up to and including the May 6 class. Short-answer and essay questions will be used to
assess your understanding of course material. The May 11 date is firm. Without formal
documentation from a legitimate source (e.g. physician or dean of students), no last-minute special
accommodations will be provided for students who want to reschedule the test.
Final exam. You will be required to complete a 25 point take-home final exam. This essay-style
exam will be distributed on the last day of class and it is due on June 8 at 5 p.m.
Class participation. Up to ten points will be awarded for class participation. Participation will be
evaluated according to regular class attendance, punctuality, and completing the assigned readings
so that comments and questions have solid grounding and advance discussion. Participation also
involves listening when others are speaking. You are not welcome to use computers, cell phones,
and other devices in class because they are distracting and disruptive. Students who meet the
standards of class participation at only the most basic level will receive the “default” participation
grade of 5 points; those who miss more than three classes will forfeit their participation grade.
Summary of Class Requirements*
Option 1
Points Due Date
Option 2
Points Due Date
???
1st draft of paper
2.5
7.5
04/14
05/05
Term paper proposal
1st draft of paper
7.5
7.5
04/14
05/05
Final paper
20
06/02
Final paper
20
06/02
Book presentation
10
04/17
04/27
05/08
05/18
Paper presentation
5
06/03
Mid-term test
25
05/11
Mid-term test
25
05/11
Final exam
25
06/08
Final exam
25
06/08
10
per
requirements
Class participation 10
Total
100
per
Class participation
requirements
Total
100
* No extensions will be provided. Late submissions will have a ½ point deducted for each day late.
Grade range: “A” = 90-100%; “B” = 80-89%; “C” = 70-79%; “D” = 60-69%; “F” <= 59%
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COURSE OUTLINE
3/30: Introducing Girls Gone Bad

The Sentencing Project. 2007. Women in the Criminal Justice System. Briefing Sheets.

Ney, Becki. 2014. “Ten Facts about Women in Jail.” American Jail Association. January
8, 2014.
4/1: Are there Gendered Patterns in Criminal Offending?

Lombroso, Caesar. 1898. “Pathological Anomalies of the Female Offender.” Pp. 27-35 in
The Female Offender. New York: D. Appleton and Co (Moodle).

Naffine, Ngaire. 1996. “The Scientific Origins of Criminology.” Pp. 15-37 in Feminism &
Criminology. Philadelphia: Temple University Press (Moodle).

Goffman, Alice. 2014. “When the Police Knock Your Door In.” Pp. 55-90 in On the Run:
Fugitive Life in an American City. Chicago: University of Chicago Press (Moodle).
4/3: What Does “Bad” Really Mean?

Scelfo, Julie. 2005. “Bad Girls Go Wild.” Newsweek, June 13, 2005 (Moodle).

Steffensmeier, Darrel and Jennifer Schwartz. 2009. “Trends in Girls’ Delinquency and the
Gender Gap.” Pp. 50-83 in Margaret Zahn (ed.), The Delinquent Girl. Philadelphia:
Temple University Press (Moodle).

Johnson, Allan G. 1997. “Where are we?” Pp. 3-23 in The Gender Knot: Unraveling Our
Patriarchal Legacy. Philadelphia: Temple University Press (Moodle).
4/6: Under What Circumstances are Girls “Bad”?

Zimmerman, Gregory M. and Steven Messner. 2010. “Neighborhood Context and the
Gender Gap in Adolescent Violent Crime.” American Sociological Review, 75(6): 958-980.

Steffensmeier, Jennifer Schwartz, and Michael Rochea. 2013. “Gender and Twenty-First
Century Corporate Crime: Female Involvement and the Gender Gap in Enron-Era
Corporate Frauds.” American Sociological Review 78: 448-476.

Peggy C. and Stephen A. Cernkovich. 1979. “On Complicating the Relationship between
Liberation and Delinquency.” Social Problems 26: 467-481.
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4/8: Assignment Planning & Academic Support Session
-
Students completing the term-paper will meet in Library 306 to learn about specific
criminological resources available at Carleton for studying crime and criminal justice
-
Students completing the book presentation will come to class and will have time to discuss
and plan their presentation with fellow group members
4/10-15: Why Do Some Girls “Go Bad”?
Readings for 4/10:

Giordano, Peggy. “Introduction”

Giordano, Peggy. “Chapter 2. Literature Review and Conceptual Framework”

Giordano, Peggy. “Chapter 3. The Ohio Life-Course Study”
Readings for 4/13:

Giordano, Peggy. “Chapter 4. OLS Adult Respondents: Offending, Surviving, Parenting”

Giordano, Peggy. “Chapter 5. How Have the OLS Children Fared?”
 4/14 Term paper proposal due
Readings for 4/15:

Giordano, Peggy. “Chapter 6. The Intergenerational Transmission Process”

Giordano, Peggy. “Chapter 7. ‘Success Stories’: It’s All Relative”

Giordano, Peggy. “Chapter 8. Theoretical and Policy Implications of the OLS Study”
4/17: Presentation of Shared Beginnings, Divergent Lives: Delinquent Boys to Age 70

Class reading: Laub, John H. and Robert Sampson. 2003. “Diverging Pathways of
Troubled Boys.” Pp. 1-12 in Shared Beginnings, Divergent Lives: Delinquent Boys to Age
70. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press (Moodle).
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4/20-27: Girls in Gangs
Readings for 4/20:

Miller, Jody. “Chapter 1. Perspectives on Gangs and Gender.”

Miller, Jody. “Chapter 2. Studying in ‘New’ Gang Cities.”

Barrows, Julie and C. Ronald Huff. 2009. “Gangs and Public Policy: Constructing and
Deconstructing Gang Databases.” Criminology & Public Policy 8: 675-703 (Moodle).
Readings for 4/ 22:

Miller, Jody. “Chapter 3. Getting into Gangs.”

Miller, Jody. “Chapter 6. Gangs, Delinquency, and Violence.”
Readings for 4/24:

Miller, Jody. “Chapter 7. Gender and Victimization in Gangs.”

Miller, Jody. “Chapter 8. Gender Strategies in Youth Gangs.”

Johnson, Allan G. 1997. “Patriarchy, the System: An It, Not a He, a Them, or an Us.” Pp.
75-98 in The Gender Knot: Unraveling Our Patriarchal Legacy. Philadelphia: Temple
University Press (Moodle).
4/27: Presentation of Punished: Policing the Lives of Black and Latino Boys

Class reading: Rios, Victor. 2011. “Dreams Deferred.” Pp. 3-23 in Punished: Policing the
Lives of Black and Latino Boys. New York: New York University Press (Moodle).
4/29-5/8: Women in the Drug Trade
4/29 Readings:

Bureau of Justice Statistics. 2011. Drug and Crime Facts.

Scott, Greg. 2011. “Matrimony.” Contexts 10(1): 50-57 (Moodle).

Maher, Lisa. “Chapter 1. Readings on Victimization and Volition”

Maher, Lisa. “Chapter 2. Taking it to the Street.”

Maher, Lisa. “Appendix”
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5/1 Readings:

Maher, Lisa. “Chapter 3. Gender, Work, and Informalization.”

Maher, Lisa. “Chapter 4. A Reserve Army: Women and the Drug Market.”

Maher, Lisa. “Chapter 5. Jobs for the Boys: Street Hustles.”
5/4: MID-TERM BREAK
 5/5 First draft of term paper or book review due
5/ 6 Readings:

Maher, Lisa. “Chapter 6. A Hard Road to Ho: Sexwork.”

Maher, Lisa. “Chapter 7. Intersectionalities: Gender-Race-Class.”

Maher, Lisa. “Chapter 8. The Reproduction of Inequalities.”
5/8: Presentation of In Search of Respect: Selling Crack in El Barrio

Class reading: Bourgois, Philippe. 2002. “Introduction.” Pp. 1-18 in In Search of Respect:
Selling Crack in El Barrio. New York: Cambridge University Press (Moodle).
5/11: Mid-term test
5/13-15: Gender and Sentencing
5/13 Readings:

Young, Cathy. 2001. “Gender-Based Leniency in Courts.” Boston Globe, Jan. 10, 2001,
p. A.19 (ProQuest).

Daly, Kathleen. 1987. “Structure and Practice of Familial-Based Justice in a Criminal
Court.” Law and Society Review 21(2)267-290.

Bickle, Gayle S. and Ruth D. Peterson. 1991. “The Impact of Gender-Based Family Roles
on Criminal Sentencing.” Social Problems 38(3): 372-394.
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5/ 15 Readings:

Tonry, Michael. 1993. “Sentencing Commissions and Their Guidelines.” Crime and
Justice 17: 137-195.
5/18: Presentation of Mass Incarceration on Trial: A Remarkable Court Decision and the Future
of Prisons in America

Class reading: Simon, Jonathan. 2014. “Introduction: Inhumane Punishment.” Pp. 1-16 in
Mass Incarceration on Trial: A Remarkable Court Decision and the Future of Prisons in
America. New York: The New Press (Moodle).
5/20 Tour of Minnesota Correctional Facility: Shakopee

Bureau of Labor Statistics. 2014. “Correctional Officers.” Occupational Outlook
Handbook.

Minnesota Department of Corrections. 2015. Inmate Profile, Minnesota Correctional
Facility - Shakope.

Mauer, Mark and David Cole. 2011. “Five Myths about Americans in Prison.” The
Washington Post June 19, 2011, online edition.
The Female Prisoner
5/22 Readings:

Kruttschnitt, Candace and Rosemary Gartner. 2005. “Introduction.”

Kruttschnitt, Candace and Rosemary Gartner. 2005. “Appendix: Characteristics of
Interviewees.”

Carson, E. & Sabol, W. (2012). Prisoners in 2013. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of
Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Statistics.
5/25 Readings:

Kruttschnitt, Candace and Rosemary Gartner. 2005. “Chapter 2. Women, Crime, and
Punishment in California.”

Kruttschnitt, Candace and Rosemary Gartner. 2005. “Chapter 3. Entering the Prison:
Methods.” Pp. 39-64 in Marking Time in the Golden State.
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5/27: The Voices of Male Prisoners
Guest Speaker: Professor Deborah Appleman, Hollis L. Caswell Professor of Educational
Studies and Director of the Summer Writing Program at Carleton College, will speak about
her book project, From the Inside Out: Letters to Young Men and Other Writings

Minnesota Department of Corrections. 2015. Inmate Profile, Minnesota Correctional
Facility - Stillwater.

Minnesota Department of Corrections. 2015. Photos from MCF-Stillwater.
5/29 The Voices of Female Prisoners

Kruttschnitt, Candace and Rosemary Gartner. 2005. “Chapter 4. Women’s Experiences of
Imprisonment at the California Institution for Women in the 1960s and the 1990s.”

Kruttschnitt, Candace and Rosemary Gartner. 2005. “Chapter 5. Variations across Time
and Place in Women’s Prison Experiences.”

Kruttschnitt, Candace and Rosemary Gartner. 2005. “Chapter 6. Negotiating Prison Life:
How Women ‘Did Time’ in the Punitive Era of the 1990s.”
6/1: Girl Interrupted

Jacobs, Ann L. 2001. “Give ‘Em a Fighting Chance: Women Offenders Reenter Society.”
Criminal Justice Magazine 16 (1).

Sommers, Ira, Deborah R. Baskin, and Jeffrey Fagan. 1994. “Getting Out of the Life:
Crime Desistance by Female Street Offenders.” Deviant Behavior 15: 125-149 (Moodle).
 6/2 final term paper or book review due
6/3: Term paper presentations
 6/8: Final exam due at 5 p.m. in my SOAN mailbox
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