On KPFA, our indispensable listener-supported radio station, I heard some startling statistics about women and the law. A woman in the US who kills her abusive husband, it seems, is more likely to be convicted and will serve far more time than a husband who beats his wife to death. This is mostly because of "use a gun, go to jail" laws, but also can be attributed to the fact that male cops and prosecutors are likely to investigate and prosecute the beating deaths as manslaughter.

Also, women who are arrested for crimes in general are far more likely to be convicted and to do serious time in prison than are men. An example: a woman serving a mandatory-minimum drug crime sentence of fifteen years while her husband, whose involvement in the crime was far greater than hers (she had merely handed him the telephone when his drug connection called), was allowed deal for a misdemeanor conviction. The wife, having no real involvement in the transaction, had no knowledge she could trade for a reduced charge.

How, indeed, do women cope? --seed