In this article, the work of Richard Quinney and his peacemaking approach to the study of crime is used to examine the circumstances of women's crime and the effect of incarceration on women and children. Quinney's attention to events prior to the act of crime is applied to women's crime. The common life experience of prior physical or sexual abuse is among the most consistent recurring themes among incarcerated women. For these women, crime is a symptom of other painful life experiences. Quinney's peacemaking approach to crime suggests that nonpunitive response offers more hope for a future without crime, and this approach is suggested as the most appropriate means of responding to women's crime.
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