We have two book reviews in this edition, After the Crime by Susan Miller and Women and Crime by Stacy Mallicoat.

Miller, Susan L. 2011. After the Crime: The Power of Restorative Justice Dialogues between Victims and Violent Offenders. New York: New York University Press.

Reviewer: Mikh V. Gunderman, University of Missouri St. Louis

Susan L. Miller’s After the Crime, examines the successes of the Victims’ Voices Heard (VVH) program. The VVH program is a victim-centered restorative justice program that works to bring victims/survivors of violent crime face-to-face with offenders in a safe non-threatening environment. The VVH program differs from typical restorative justice programs because it is a therapeutic restorative justice program with the primary aim of helping victims of violent crime heal and move forward in their recovery. As such, offenders who volunteer to participate in the VVH program do so knowing that this process has no bearing on the outcome of their criminal case (all offenders discussed in the book were either currently or formerly incarcerated for their crimes). However, the absence of any tangible incentives to participate in the program does not mean that offenders did not benefit from their participating in this restorative justice process.

Miller organizes her book into three sections. The first section is comprised of chapters 1-3, and focuses on introducing the reader to the repercussions of violent victimization. These repercussions include despair, grief, rage, anger, self-doubt, self-blame, self-hatred, feelings of guilt resulting from victim blaming and compassion fatigue, and the difficulty of coming to terms with the crimes that deeply affected their lives. In addition, the concepts of restorative justice are touched upon with a specific focus on differentiating diversionary restorative justice practices from the therapeutic restorative justice practices which are the focus of the VVH program. Lastly, in this introductory section, Miller chronicles the development of the VVH program. The program was founded by Kim Book as she struggled to heal and find forgiveness after her daughter’s murder and her dissatisfaction with the treatment of victims in the criminal justice system.

The bulk of After the Crime, chapters 4-12, focuses on nine case studies of victim-offender experiences with the VVH program (section two). Miller does an excellent job of succinctly presenting how the victims came to the VVH program, the process leading up to the face-to-face meetings, the dialogue, and the outcomes of the face-to-face meetings for both the victims and the offenders. Due to the therapeutic nature of the VVH program, Miller is able to explore the effects of restorative justice practices on victims of violent crime typically thought to be beyond the scope of traditional restorative justice practices because of their diversionary nature.

The first five case studies (chapters 4-8) examine violent sexual offenses. The first two cases deal with stranger rape and assault. The third deals with domestic violence, marital rape, and the sexual molestation of a child by the father. The fourth deals with the sexual molestation of a child by the father. The fifth deals with the sexual molestation of two children by their grandfather, with the father of one of the victims participating in the VVH process. The next two case studies (chapters 9-10) deal with what Miller terms “unintentional homicide.” Both of these cases studies revolve around the loss of family members to drunk driving incidents that resulted in death. The final two case studies (chapters 11-12) revolve around intentional homicide. One case involves the premeditated murder of a man believed to be abusing his wife and children and the second case involves the murder of a woman after she rebuffed sexual advances.

Chapter 13 identifies patterns and themes uncovered within the case studies. These themes speak to the limitations and strengths of post-conviction therapeutic restorative justice programs. Miller finds that prior to their participation in the VVH program the victims/survivors expressed that the criminal justice system was unable to provide them with the support or opportunity for them to heal and move beyond their victimization. Many reported feelings of loss of dignity, loss of trust, embarrassment or shame, anger, grief, and/or self-blame, which prevented them from being “good victims.” The idea of being a “good victim” stems from the misguided belief that a victim of a violent crime should be able to process the experience, the pain, and the traumatic life changes resulting from violent victimization and achieve closure in a reasonable time period. However, perhaps due to failings of the criminal justice system’s management of crime victims, many questions remain unanswered. Victims/survivors want to know why them? Was it something I did? Is it my fault? Do I still need to live in fear? The VVH program allows victims/survivors to face the person who hurt them or their loved ones and seek answers to these questions to achieve a degree of solace and closure. Miller also covered themes related to the offenders’ motivations for participation and the offenders’ experiences. The greatest benefit for offenders who participated in the VVH program was the opportunity to make amends to their victim(s) as a way of addressing the shame and regret associated with their crimes. This process most often involved an apology from the offender and signing of affirmation agreements, which represented the hopes of both victims and offenders for the future. Further, Miller examined the benefits of the process and the outcomes for victims/survivors, as well as the role of forgiveness and its applicability and benefits in cases of gendered violence. Miller concludes After the Crime with recommendations to support and expand programs like the VVH program. She declares that these programs embody the goals of the victims’ rights movement. Moreover, the benefits for the victims/survivors and the offenders are both cathartic and empowering.

Miller’s After the Crime provides a unique contribution to the field through its examination of using restorative justice practices to address the health and wellbeing of the victims/survivors of violent crime. It was particularly distinctive for its inclusion of sexual violent offenses. Miller has shown that the victim-centered therapeutic model of restorative justice can be used to address the feelings of self-doubt, self-blame, fear, and betrayal common to the victims/survivors of sexual violence, which ultimately result in feelings of satisfaction and empowerment. After the Crime would be best used as a supplemental text for higher level undergraduate or graduate courses in gender and crime, violence against women, corrections, victimization, and/or social justice.

 

Mallicoat, Stacy. 2011.  Women and Crime. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Reviewer: Heather Asbury graduate student at Boise State University, Criminal Justice Department

The author of Women and Crime, Stacy Mallicoat, has written this book in hopes to produce an interesting and informative text. Her inventive idea has been billed as a Text/Reader, a combination of a textbook and a reader to appeal to both students and faculty. Textbooks are largely filled with pictures and charts and other pedagogical devices resulting in sensory overload and causing student disinterest. Readers are compositions of research articles yet lack explanation. Women and Crime is an attempt to merge the benefits of both a textbook and a reader to retain the interest of both faculty and student while providing knowledge and understanding.  Mallicoat avoids fluff material; she provides straight forward information along with statistical tables and other pertinent information. Women and Crime is divided into sections and each section has corresponding readings to partner with the text material. The readings include case studies, voices of victims and offenders, and current, peer reviewed research studies. The sections (victimization, offending, and criminal justice professionals) are further organized with sub categories providing information on multiple aspects of the section topic.  Sections one through six delve into the different forms of abuse, assault, and crimes committed against women. Sections seven through ten focus on delinquency, offenders, incarceration, and the barriers women offenders face. The last section, eleven, provides an interesting history of women in the criminal justice system and the progression of female involvement within the system. Here are some highlights of the book:

Within the introduction, Mallicoat provides a brief history on women and crime from offenders, to victims, to the women who work in the criminal justice field.  Detail is offered on how data is collected on both victims and offenders through UCR, NIBRIS, and NCVS. Data tables with one and ten-year arrest reports from the UCR aid in visually understanding the material.

In the second section, key terms and theories describe the intersection of victimization and criminal behavior. The humanizing aspect of this section is the explanation of victimization. The typology of victims and offenders are analyzed through social views, fears, and patterns. Prior to the articles, Mallicoat provides an outline on how to read an article breaking down the major points. Explanation of each point addresses how to interpret the readings to eliminate students’ confusion or feeling overwhelmed. The readings in this section cover victimization; male-dominated view on criminality and the media; and gender effects on fear and crime.

Section three defines sexual victimization; explains treatment for victims through criminal justice processing, and implications for sexual assault victims. This section is full of pertinent information with rape statistics, categorization of sexual assault, and a discussion of common myths associated with sexual violence. Readings in this section discuss sexual assault beyond rape; media perception of public assault cases; and date rape.

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is the focus of section four. Mallicoat briefly discusses the history of partner abuse and how women were looked upon as the property of their husbands.  The cycle of violence is covered, including IPV’s effects on everyone in the family, especially children who are exposed to the violence. Readings discuss the role of men in IPV; help seeking methods for women; and how immigration status plays a role in IPV.

Section five covers identification, laws, and policies in regards to stalking and sexual harassment. Both crimes are under reported due to fear of escalation and the possible implications of reporting the incidents. The readings review real life stories from victims; cyber stalking; and sexual harassment by strangers.

In section six, international issues are highlighted with three examples: honor-based violence against women, human trafficking and female slavery, and femicides. Mallicoat describes the different crimes related to each issue and acceptable practices within different communities. Victims of these crimes are often blamed for their own victimizations, and their offenders are rarely prosecuted.  Readings in this section cover honor killings in Pakistan; sex trafficking girls in Nepal; and crimes against women in Juarez.

Section seven is a history of juvenile delinquency and the progression of parens patriae. Statistics on juvenile arrest estimates and the percentage of female involvement are offered. Mallicoat outlines reasons why girls become delinquent, gender specified programs, risk factors for delinquency, and specific barriers in providing services to girls. The readings provide an overview of juvenile court and managing family conflict with delinquent girls; media and female offenders; and the perspective of crime from a girl in a juvenile justice facility.

Four main categories of female offenses are dissected in Section eight: drug intake and distribution, mothers who kill their children, prostitution, and gang offending. Readings discuss the social implications of incarceration in one case study; distinguishing different factors in women who murder their children; prostitution; and gang involvement.

Section nine explains the processing and sentencing of female offenders and the factors taken into consideration throughout the criminal justice system. Differences in gender are considered with sentencing, treatment, probation, and race among the women. In this section, the readings cover the intersection of race, ethnicity, and gender in the juvenile justice system; gender and sentencing; and the preferential treatment of women/girls versus men/boys.

In Section 10, Mallicoat explores the origins, contemporary issues, and barriers of women and incarceration.  Mallicoat discusses the effects of the ban on welfare benefits for individuals who have been charged with a felony. A supplemental table with information for each state provides a bird’s eye view on where resources are needed. Readings discuss gender-responsive programming; women offenders and their children; and complications with reintegration.

Section 11 turns the reader’s attention away from victims and offenders, and focuses on women working in the criminal justice system. While integrating women into the criminal justice field has come a long way, Mallicoat states there is still a need for equal representation of women in the discipline. Readings in this section provide an overview of the acceptance of women into the correctional field; a case study on ruling differences between male and female judges; and the levels and different types of stress correctional officers face on a daily basis.

The flow of each section with the subcategories, true life stories, current articles, and visuals makes this text/reader interesting and informative. Mallicoat provides unbiased insight into the struggles of victims, offenders, and female workers in the criminal justice system. She dissects victimization and criminal activity beyond commonly known crimes. Gender ideologies are addressed in regards to the topic of each section and are supported with statistics. Women and Crime is a refreshing contribution to criminal justice academia. I would highly recommend Women and Crime as a staple in a gender and justice classroom. Mallicoat brings forward a new perspective on how to present pertinent information, history, and theory that I believe would intrigue both student and instructor.