RT Article
T1 Gendered outcomes in prostitution arrests in Houston, Texas
JF Crime & delinquency
VO 64
IS 12
SP 1538
OP 1567
A1 Pfeffer, Rebecca
A2 Ormachea, Pablo
A2 Eagleman, David 1971-
LA English
YR 2018
UL https://krimdok.uni-tuebingen.de/Record/158248547X
AB This study analyzes the law enforcement response to prostitution in Houston, Texas, between 1977 and 2010 to examine whether the traditional approach to policing prostitution disproportionately penalizes women. Data included the disposition and sentencing information for 22,916 first-time prostitution arrests in Harris County. Using bivariate and multivariate analyses, we explored gender differences in the likelihood of receiving punishment, the type(s) of punishment received, and the amount of punishment for first-time prostitution offenses. We find that women were disproportionately arrested for prostitution and that women were more likely to receive a jail sentence for involvement in prostitution than men were. In contrast, male arrestees for prostitution were more likely to receive probation sentences and/or fines. This study adds to a robust body of literature suggesting that gender impacts sentencing in the criminal justice system. Yet, it is unclear whether the role of the arrestee—as either a buyer or seller—moderates the effect of gender. This quandary demonstrates the need for more comprehensive data collection about the role of the arrestee in the commercial sexual exchange
K1 Sentencing
K1 Punishment
K1 Gender
K1 Disparity
K1 Prostitution
K1 Strafzumessung
K1 Bestrafung
K1 Strafungleichheit
DO 10.1177/0011128717748576