Date: Wed, 11 Feb 1998 23:36:40 -0000
From: Audrey
To: ABOLISH@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU
Subject: article by Cathy, death row CA
The following article by Cathy Thompson (death row, CA) appeared in the
Autumn edition of LifeLines Ireland newsletter Vol 3: No 3 1997
If you are going to requote, please credit the author - thank you.
..............................
The INVISIBITY of WOMEN on DEATH ROW: a personal view
The United States houses more women condemned to die that any other country
in the world. Other than when their crimes occur or when an execution date
is scheduled for one of us, we remain totally in-visible to society. This
is probably how society wants it. They do not want to be reminded that
they have caused the destiny of Mothers and Grandmothers to die against
their will. When they are reminded they ease their conscious by painting a
picture of us as the worst of the worst women in the world, women too
dangerous to be even around other inmates in the prison system, women who
have committed unspeakable crimes.
Our condemned women population is .01% of the entire women's prison
population. If you take a look at history this country has 511 legal
executions of women starting in 1632. The oldest woman ever executed was
65 years of age, the youngest was only 12 years old. It's apparent age has
no bearing on our barbaric society.
Executions in the 1600's, 1700's and early 1800's were public carnivals
held in the center of towns immediately after sentencings. Women were
forbidden to attend executions.
A condemned woman was placed on scaffolds humiliated before crowds of
cavorting men cheering the executioner. It was a men's show.
There are presently over 3,500 men on death row, by far outnumbering the 50
or less women. It is known factually that women sentenced to death are
usually first time offenders. The vast majority of these women come from
abusive families and easily fall prey to abusive relationships.
In the book Women's Prisoners - A Forgotten Population the author shows
that almost half of the women presently on Death Row has a history of abuse
and are there for the murder of an abusive spouse or lover.
When a woman strikes back at her abuser and kills her intimate partner they
give longer and more severe sentences than men.
Death Row conditions vary from State to State. There is no set pattern.
Some States allow the women to mingle for meals and yard time while other
States allow no type of contact with another human ever and locked down up
to 23 hours per day.
Fifteen years ago women were sentenced to death and on appeal woman after
woman got reversals and sentence modifications to a life without parole
sent-ence. A man, who brutally abuses a woman and finally goes too far
with the abuse and kills her, will get a manslaughter with a 15 year or
less sentence and ,depending what State he resides in, he can out after
serving half that time. If his victim of abuse has killed him out of fear
of her life or being tired of the beatings and mental abuse she gets an
average of 15 years to life sentence up to the death penalty. Women are not
sentenced according to guideline (obviously).
Women prosecutors seem to feel that they have to prove they have no
gender-bias (in their eyes) and tend to strike out at women that are
accused of murdering their abuser.
It is apparent that the justice system is still in male control as were
executions in the 16, 17 and early 1800's. When a female prosecutor feels
some type of retribution if she show empathy for an abused defendant who
out-of-fear killed her abuser - it is a true but sad fact of reality.
Most of these cases go improperly defended be-cause of a lack of funds made
available for a proper defense and investigation. The funds made available
to prosecute a case and resources that are available to prosecute a case
has no limits. Is this just one more panel of men making the decisions?
Over 50% of the women on Death Row were represented by male attorneys;
court rooms were controlled by male judges and the courtroom bailiffs were
male.
The abuse of the female starts as a child and ends in the so-called justice
system. Our Pledge of Allegiance, that is taught to children in grammar
school, has been challenged for the mention of God; this writer feels it
should also be challenged for the very last 4 words we recite 'and justice
for all' ..
Cathy Thompson A104 149L
CCWF PO Box 1508 Chowchilla
CA 93610-1508
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