reluctant to put women to death. The recent execution of Karla Faye Tucker had the country in an uproar. This is because women are seen as less scary and less dangerous then men.Statistically women commit less crime then men. Women in prison make up 8% of federal prison and only 5% of state local prisons. Only one in seven is serving time for a violent crime.However when a women deviates from her role in society she tends to be harshly punished. When she breaks from her nurturing, caring nature she is severely punished. Women that are convicted of crimes like child abandonment and assault, generally receive a tougher sentence then men do convicted of similar crimes. Women are also given more severe sentencing in drug cases then do men. When women and men are tried together for committing the same crime, the women are treated by the court as if they were led along in the crime by the man. Such is the case in 1987 of Hedda Nussbaum. Hedda Nussbaum was free-basing cocaine, while her daughter Lisa, lay dying from a savage beating inflicted on her. Hedda was responsible for the abuse of her daughter Lisa, as was her husband Joel Steinberg. Yet society gave Nussbaum overwhelming sympathy and was presented as a victim herself and all charges were dropped when she testified against her husband who is now in prison. Here is proof how when a man and women are both charged with committing a crime together women receive preferential treatment.The punishment should fit the crime not the gender. Someone who murders is a murderer. The fact that they are a male or female should not determine their punishments. Let the act speak for itself not the sex or the criminal. Until society can ignore its ideals of the roles of the sexes, unfair sentencing will probably continue. If we want to promote equality in society it must be achieved in all areas including criminal prosecution. Punishment should be based on the crime. There should also...
