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Abstract: 

Kristin Bumiller presents the argument that the feminist movement has abandoned its original motives and has come to rely too heavily upon the criminal justice system. The social movements that culminated in the reforms of 1960s and 1970s (e.g., laws against domestic violence) have yielded to our current era dominated by neoliberal economic policies, higher incarceration rates, and the shredding of the social network. Ms. Bumiller argues that the handling of sexual crimes has gotten disconnected from earlier societal movements and grassroots activism, resulting in outcomes that are counterproductive to the feminist movement’s original intents.

Keywords: neoliberalism; social welfare system; notable sex crime trials; improving victims’ treatment; community coordination; mandatory enforcement policies; social control priorities; adversarial relationship between criminal justice officials and victims

Affiliations:  1: Amherst College.