We are a multidisciplinary group of lawyers, human rights defenders, scholars, and researchers dedicated to exposing the intersectional bias faced by women, trans people,...

We are a multidisciplinary group of lawyers, human rights defenders, scholars, and researchers dedicated to exposing the intersectional bias faced by women, trans people, and gender minorities facing extreme sentencing for serious crimes. We utilize advocacy, research, and the production of materials for practical use in our efforts to reveal the depth of this bias, with the goal of effecting systemic change within the criminal legal system. By focusing on the most vulnerable members of the incarcerated population, we believe our approach will gain victories that will be felt throughout the prison industrial complex, to the benefit of all housed within it.

**The Problem**

The issue of gender discrimination in sentencing is deeply urgent and deeply misunderstood. Although women are the fastest growing population of incarcerated people, perceptions that they receive preferential treatment from the criminal legal system abound. In reality, women have suffered the most in the era of mass incarceration, with female incarceration increasing by 700% since 1980, more than double the rate of male incarceration for the same period. For women of color, the punitive nature of our criminal legal system has been disproportionately harsh. Nationally, one of every 39 imprisoned Black women is serving LWOP (life without parole) compared with one out of every 59 imprisoned white women. Women with disabilities, histories of sexual and physical abuse, and lived experiences of poverty face added barriers to justice. Complicating the urgency of these needs is the reality that very few studies have focused on these populations, creating a dearth of knowledge surrounding their needs.
  
The result is a prison system filled with the most vulnerable members of society, whose identities sit at the intersection of multiple forms of marginalization. Most have been victims long before they entered the system as perpetrators, yet were denied assistance and intervention when they needed it most. We believe in uplifting these individuals, because we understand that their lived experiences have the power to shed light on the cruelties and injustices of the criminal legal system. Their stories hold the key to transforming the system by moving it away from retribution and punishment and toward rehabilitation and healing.
 
**Our Approach**

Our work addresses intersectional discrimination from a variety of angles. By publishing groundbreaking research, we shed light on hidden forms of discrimination and disrupt widespread misconceptions about its prevalence. Engaging in advocacy campaigning allows us to inform the public and mobilize new allies for change. These efforts inform our work to produce materials of practical relevance for lawyers, policy-makers, and most importantly, incarcerated people.
 
**Our Team**

Chelsea Halstead: project director
Sandra Babcock: project advisory board chair
 
**Contact information** 

Chelsea Halstead
[GenderedSentencing@gmail.com](mailto:GenderedSentencing@gmail.com) 
   

Center on Gender and Extreme Sentencing

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.css-1wjgqn{display:inline-block;--textSize:1.5rem;--lineHeight:1.7999999999999998rem;line-height:var(--lineHeight);font-size:var(--textSize);width:100%;}Center on Gender and Extreme Sentencing

Center on Gender and Extreme Sentencing