A law lecturer and a feminist lawyer have attributed the increase in women being arrested for violent crime to sexist police and judicial officers. Dr Rita Shackel, an associate professor at Sydney University, and Anna Kerr, principal solicitor at the Feminist Legal Clinic, argue that gender bias among law enforcement and the judiciary is driving up the number of women in prison.
In a journal article titled 'Equality with a vengeance: The over-incarceration of women', Shackel and Kerr claim that the rising imprisonment rates point to 'pervasive systemic gender bias and discrimination'. They describe research data as 'disturbing' and suggest that women's fundamental rights are 'under attack'.
The pair argue that police and judges should show more mercy when sentencing women, as they suffer more in prison. They call for a distinction in sentencing guidelines between crimes committed by men and women. Kerr also claimed that authorities fail to understand power imbalances in domestic violence cases, particularly regarding physical strength and resources.
According to the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics, the number of women imprisoned in New South Wales doubled between 2011 and 2017. Kerr suggested that women who are primary carers should be given preference for bail if convicted.
