Perspectivas de género en las condenas por tráfico de drogas : = Gender perspectives in drug trafficking convictions

Abstract

This article pretends to examine sentences for drug trafficking from a gender perspective. An in-depth analysis of sentences and prison statistics from this point of view reveals that women are most affected by this repressive policy. The most remarkable fact is that while the number of convicted women in general is low, a large percentage of female offenders’ sentences are related to drug offences, thus representing a higher percentage in this group than in the male group. Yet if we analyze the prison population from a gender perspective, the results are even more striking: whereas women make up an insignificant percentage of the total, they nonetheless represent a large part of the total number of sentences for drug trafficking. Furthermore, a study of the characteristics of women sentenced for these crimes allows us to trace a specific profile for this group, which in turn provides an insight into why women are the main victims of the repressive drug policy, and the consequences they face. It will be analyzed whether penal treatment contributes to an excessive representation of the feminine gender in prisons; which gender sectors are particularly affected; and how we could find the causes and consequences of this situation. To conclude, new ways to solve this problem are suggested: reconsidering criminal policy on drugs, or strengthening alternatives to prison and different measures to support people serving sentences in prison.