Criminal Justice Conference: Gender differences within crime and corrections

KEARNEY, Neb. — Investigating murder, avoiding violent encounters and breaking down gender differences, just a few topics covered at the 30th Annual UNK Criminal Justice Conference.

Hundreds of students and professionals were in attendance along with multiple speakers.

According to Dr. Susan Dewey, there are significant differences in what leads men and women to prison.

"Experience with trauma, violence and abuse lead to self medication with drugs and alcohol, significant childcare responsibilities, and the whole suite of concerns impacting women including lower pay and less access to employment," said Dewey.

Another difference according to Dewey: the vast majority of women are taking accountability for their actions that lead them to prison.

However, she said these women have concerns reentering society. For this reason, Dewey said there needs to be change and she feels rural areas can be the leaders of that change. This requires supporting women before, during and after their time in prison.

"Community support for people who are struggling with addictions, people who are struggling with the ability to find a job that pays a living wage, people who are struggling with violent abuse in various forms," said Dewey. "The more that we as rural communities can draw upon our strengths in supporting every one including the most marginalized members of our communities the stronger that we will be."

She said the average cost to incarcerate an inmate in states like Nebraska and Wyoming is 40 thousand dollars a year.

Students also had the opportunity to meet with more than 20 local, state and federal criminal justice agencies, each helping guide them through future career possibilities.

"I was looking into working with the FBI is what I'd like to do for like a lofty goal," said UNK criminal justice junior, Joel Kreifels. "Basically what I learned was that, since I already have work experience, it may not be in the field already but at least I have work experience. So it's something that's showing, hey I have this committed time to, you know, working out in the field, working out in a career."

Kreifels said he hoped to explore more opportunities within the criminal justice field during conference and job fair.

To follow this story and all of Jessica Stevenson's local news coverage, find her on facebook and twitter.