Intersections Between Gender, Race, and Justice-Involvement: a Mixed Methods Analysis of Women's Experiences in the Oregon Criminal Justice System
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UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones May 2018 Intersections Between Gender, Race, and Justice-Involvement: A Mixed Methods Analysis of Women's Experiences in the Oregon Criminal Justice System Breanna Lynne Boppre Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalscholarship.unlv.edu/thesesdissertations Part of the Criminology Commons, Criminology and Criminal Justice Commons, Gender and Sexuality Commons, and the Women's Studies Commons Repository Citation Boppre, Breanna Lynne, "Intersections Between Gender, Race, and Justice-Involvement: A Mixed Methods Analysis of Women's Experiences in the Oregon Criminal Justice System" (2018). UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones. 3220. http://dx.doi.org/10.34917/13568393 This Dissertation is protected by copyright and/or related rights. It has been brought to you by Digital Scholarship@UNLV with permission from the rights-holder(s). You are free to use this Dissertation in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s) directly, unless additional rights are indicated by a Creative Commons license in the record and/or on the work itself. This Dissertation has been accepted for inclusion in UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones by an authorized administrator of Digital Scholarship@UNLV. For more information, please contact [email protected]. INTERSECTIONS BETWEEN GENDER, RACE, AND JUSTICE-INVOLVEMENT: A MIXED METHODS ANALYSIS OF WOMEN’S EXPERIENCES IN THE OREGON CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM By Breanna L. Boppre Bachelor of Arts – Criminal Justice University of Nevada, Reno 2010 Master of Science – Criminology and Criminal Justice Portland State University 2014 A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Doctor of Philosophy – Criminology and Criminal Justice Department of Criminal Justice Greenspun College of Urban Affairs The Graduate College University of Nevada, Las Vegas May 2018 Copyright 2018 by Breanna Lynne Boppre All Rights Reserved Dissertation Approval The Graduate College The University of Nevada, Las Vegas May 9, 2018 This dissertation prepared by Breanna L. Boppre entitled Intersections between Gender, Race, and Justice-Involvement: A Mixed Methods Analysis of Women’s Experiences in the Oregon Criminal Justice System is approved in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy – Criminology and Criminal Justice Department of Criminal Justice Emily Salisbury, Ph.D. Kathryn Hausbeck Korgan, Ph.D. Examination Committee Chair Graduate College Interim Dean Emily Troshynski, Ph.D. Examination Committee Member Terance Miethe, Ph.D. Examination Committee Member Gillian Pinchevsky, Ph.D. Examination Committee Member Mark Leymon, Ph.D. Examination Committee Member Lisa Bendixen, Ph.D. Graduate College Faculty Representative ii Abstract Since the 1970s, the rate of female incarceration in the United States skyrocketed, with highest imprisonment rates among Black and Latina women. Nonetheless, few studies examined disparities in female imprisonment and the distinct experiences of women of Color within the justice system. To fill this gap in the literature, this dissertation utilized conflict and intersectional perspectives to assess the differential treatment of women in the Oregon justice system. Using a convergent mixed methods design, this dissertation examined disparities in female imprisonment using state-level prison admissions and population data from 1983-2014 in conjunction with qualitative interview and focus group responses among women on community supervision in Northwestern Oregon. Overall, both methods revealed that women of Color, particularly Black women, experienced harsher justice outcomes relative to White women throughout various phases of the Oregon justice system. Quantitative results indicated that Black women faced stark disparities in imprisonment over the past 30 years. Although these disparities lessened since the 1990s, likely due to the enactment of sentencing reforms, Black women were still nearly four times as likely to be imprisoned in comparison to White women as of 2014. Qualitative responses were analyzed to develop major themes demonstrating that racism and privilege encountered in broad society permeate through various phases of the justice system. Respondents described differential suspicion by law enforcement and sentencing outcomes based upon their gendered and racial identities. Women also experienced racial biases within the correctional system in relation to treatment from staff and fellow prisoners as well as the cultural representativeness of programs and services offered. Results from both methods were interpreted jointly in the final chapters, and future directions were provided. Ultimately, this dissertation exemplified the need to consider intersectional contexts in criminal justice research and policies. iii Acknowledgements First and foremost, I would like to thank my academic mentor and dissertation chair, Dr. Emily J. Salisbury. Emily truly helped me find my voice as an academic. As a first-generation college student, and woman in academia, she continuously provided support and guidance. Emily also challenged me to become involved in disseminating research to the public and engaging in community outreach. It is because of her that I recognize how #gendermatters and decided to devote this dissertation to understanding women’s justice-involvement. I would like to thank the 19 women who participated in the qualitative portion of this study. Many of the topics we discussed were complex and emotional. I will never forget these women and their stories. Despite their adversity, all of them took ownership over their lives and were positive about the future. These women were truly inspirational. This study would not have been possible without facilitation from the Oregon Department of Corrections Division of Community Corrections and Multnomah County Department of Community Justice. I would like to thank Katherine Roller and Jeff Hanson for assisting with the logistics of this study (e.g., scheduling and accessing data). I would also like to recognize and thank Michelle Aguilar, Michele Smith, and Daryn Smith, as well as all the probation/parole officers on-site who provided space for the interviews/focus groups. This dissertation would not have been possible without the funding I received from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) Graduate College. I was awarded the Summer Doctoral Fellowship as well as the President’s Research Fellowship. Beyond funding, I’d like to thank Dean Kate Korgan and Valarie Burke for their support and numerous opportunities for professional development. iv I’d also like to thank Cassandra Boyer and Saleena Alvarez for their help with this study. Cassandra traveled with me to Portland as my “research partner in crime” to conduct this research. Also, Saleena helped with transcription and entering data. I greatly appreciate these strong ladies’ support and assistance with this project. I was fortunate to have mentorship and guidance from various faculty members. I’d first like to recognize those at the UNLV. First, I’d like to thank my committee members: Dr. Emily Troshynski, Dr. Terance Miethe, Dr. Gillian Pinchevsky, Dr. Mark Leymon (Harmon), and Dr. Lisa Bendixen. Each of my committee members provided ongoing support with my dissertation as well as professional development. Special thanks goes to Dr. T. for working closely with me on the qualitative portion. She tirelessly spent many hours, even over weekends, providing detailed feedback on multiple drafts. Second, I would also like to thank faculty in my department who helped me in my graduate career: Dr. Melissa Rorie, Dr. Bill Sousa, Dr. Tamara Madensen, Dr. Joel Lieberman, Dr. Seong Park, Dr. Hong Lu, Dr. Randall Shelden, and Dr. Alexis Kennedy. These faculty members in the Department of Criminal Justice welcomed me as a transfer student, provided advice and feedback on research projects, and helped me prepare for the job market. Additionally, I’d like to thank professors who continued to provide help and guidance even after I left my former universities. Dr. Jody Sundt continuously offered warm and encouraging support. From debating over the best spots for fresh powder to figuring out new statistical techniques, it has always been a pleasure working with her. #womenwhoripit. I’d also like to thank Dr. Mark Leymon. It was Mark’s invitation to work on a project examining racial disparities in female imprisonment that led to my interest in intersectionality. Finally, I would like to acknowledge and thank Dr. Monica K. Miller. Working with Monica on my v undergraduate honors thesis sparked my interest in research. It was her hands-on mentorship that gave me the research skills needed to succeed in my future endeavors. I’d like to thank my husband, Billy. He witnessed all the accomplishments, tears, and frustrations during my graduate career. Billy’s excitement and support for my education pushed me to excel. Lastly, I would like to thank my family and friends for all their support. I greatly appreciate my close colleagues who I had the pleasure of working alongside: Cassandra Boyer, Stephanie Kaplan, Olivia Tuttle, Matthew West, Tereza Trejbalova, Shon Reed, Logan Kennedy, Jaclyn Parker, Linsey Belisle, Kelly Stout, and Bridget Kelly. All of them helped my intellectual growth – from