Book Review: Atwell, M. W. (2007). Wretched Sisters: Examining Gender and Capital Punishment. New York: Peter Lang. 242 pp

• Author: Edward J. Schauer
• DOI: 10.1177/0734016808325619
• Published date: 01 June 2009
• Date: 01 June 2009
• Subject Matter: Articles

286 Criminal Justice Review

violations, no evidence exists of decreases in criminal activity. She concludes that the research

on electronic monitoring suggests no consistent or strong evidence of effectiveness.

In an effort to understand exactly what approach best addresses criminal activity,

MacKenzie is thorough in examining all types of correctional interventions that have been

the subject of evaluation, including management strategies and treatment programs. She

concludes that the most effective types of correctional programs are those that are skill-

oriented, cognitive-behavioral, and multi-modal, based on the human service delivery, and

targeting criminogenic and dynamic risk factors. She argues that ineffective programs may

be due to poor theoretical rationale, program implementation, or a focus on punishment and

control. She also makes the argument that focus on individual change or cognitive transfor-

mation appears key to changes in criminal lifestyles. She concludes her book with a recom-

mendation for more quality evaluations of correctional programs.

MacKenzie is systematic in examining the theory and sentencing philosophy behind

each correctional intervention before outlining its effectiveness. Her writing is clear and

provides the reader with context and concepts necessary to grasp the basics of correctional

programming and the more complex field of program evaluation. This book complements

MacKenzie’s significant and instrumental career contributions on the effectiveness of

community-based and correctional programming. Her prior research informs the book

and establishes it as a premier text in the field of correctional program evaluation. I highly

recommend this book for use as a primary or supplemental text in courses that focus on

corrections, community corrections, or correctional programming. The book can also be

helpful to practitioners interested in informing policy and programming in the field.

Carrie L. Cook

University of Florida, Gainesville

Atwell, M. W. (2007). Wretched Sisters: Examining Gender and Capital Punishment. New

York: Peter Lang. 242 pp.

DOI: 10.1177/0734016808325619

Readers who believe that justice in America is fairly and equitably applied, or that the

criminal justice system processes women without gender bias, or who advocate state execu-

tions as a just and fitting punishment will have their faiths and logic shaken in the process

of reading Wretched Sisters. The book contains the individual studies of each of the 11

women executed in the United States in the 30 years following the reinstatement of the

death penalty in 1976.

Introduced by and set in a backdrop of more recent feminist theory and research find-

ings, the author attempts to answer a pair of the simplest, yet most vital, questions: (a) Why

so few? and (b) why these few? Atwell includes a chapter outlining U.S. Supreme Court

rulings on the death penalty and their differential impacts on persons in regard to gender,

race, class, and socioeconomics.

As the author builds her argument—beginning with the criminal justice system selection and

processing, next the prosecution, then the defense, the judges and juries, the appeals courts, the