SOCIOECONOMIC DETERMINANTS OF FEMALE CRIME IN PUNJAB PRISONS

Abstract

This study investigates the socioeconomic determinants of female criminality in Punjab prisons, drawing on data from 108 inmates across six prisons in the province. The findings reveal that the majority of respondents belonged to low-income households, with 57.4% earning less than PKR 10,000 per month, and most being housewives without independent income. Nearly half of their husbands were laborers and one-fifth were unemployed, reflecting overall economic instability. Drug trafficking emerged as the most common offense (38.9%), followed by theft/robbery (25.9%) and murder (25.0%). Chi-square analysis showed a statistically significant association between monthly income and type of crime (p < 0.05), with lower-income women more likely to be involved in drug trafficking and theft, while higher-income women were more often implicated in murder cases. Although other socioeconomic variables did not show significant associations at the 0.05 level, patterns indicated that economic deprivation, unemployment, and financial dependency were central to female involvement in crime. These findings underscore the need for poverty alleviation, vocational training, and education initiatives to reduce female criminality in Punjab.