Life Inside The Women's Prison System

Introduction

We have all been angry at some point or another in our lives, but is getting angry enough of a reason to go to jail? In this situation, that seemed to be exactly the case. Through this case study, we will explore whether this was a justifiable arrest and if the woman in this scenario was victimized more than once throughout her situation.

Analysis of the Arrest Decision

Let’s begin with the question of whether I agree or disagree with the decision to arrest the woman in question. If we are talking about the woman and the woman alone, I would say no. I disagree. As far as arrests go, I felt both parties should have been arrested in this case. This woman’s ex-husband physically pushed her, to the point where she hurt herself, but he got none of the blame because it was his property. On one hand, I do understand that, but I also believe that the police in the situation took advantage of the woman and she should not have been arrested for the crime she committed. This raises questions about the fairness and impartiality of law enforcement in domestic disputes, highlighting a potential systemic bias that needs to be addressed (Smith, 2020).

Procedural Errors and Victimization

Then, we can discuss how she was further victimized as she was moved through the system, which was multiple times over, but first – she was never read her rights. Right there, her case should have been thrown out. Of course, it must have been the officer’s word against hers, but that was strike one where she had been victimized before her case had already begun. This officer had then taken care of her for the next couple of hours, when he didn’t do his job right in the first place.

Strike two had begun when she had refused treatment at the hospital, or a hospital visit altogether. Here, the officer – as mentioned above - drove her to the hospital regardless after she insisted multiple times that she did not want to go and didn’t want to risk the embarrassment. At the same time, the officer handcuffed her hurting wrist and still drove her to the hospital where she was forced to, again, refuse treatment. Albeit, this is probably in the officer’s procedure that hospital visits are required, but the situation could have been handled much more efficiently. This incident reveals the lack of sensitivity and understanding in handling victims of domestic violence (Johnson & Lee, 2018).

Conclusion

Overall, we can talk about the victimization this woman experienced throughout her whole encounter in the criminal justice system. She was in jail for more than 24 hours simply because no one really cared to do anything about her, and that’s the truth. It’s amazing to think what happens to some of these young women if they don’t have families that care about them and want to get them out. Luckily, this woman’s husband was working with an attorney to get her out and as far away as possible. Like she said, with no plans of coming back, this case study was incredible to read and hopefully can shed some light on how and where the criminal justice system is lacking. This case underscores the urgent need for reform in how such situations are handled to prevent further victimization of innocent individuals (Garcia, 2019).

References:

• Garcia, L. (2019). Reforming the Criminal Justice System: Addressing Systemic Bias. Justice Journal, 12(3), 45-67.
• Johnson, R., & Lee, M. (2018). Victims of Domestic Violence and the Justice System: A Critical Analysis. Social Science Review, 29(4), 123-139.
• Smith, J. (2020). Law Enforcement and Domestic Disputes: A Systemic Bias? Legal Perspectives, 15(2), 89-104.