You might wonder, “why so fast?” given our irregular posting of podcasts, but we had the fabulous opportunity of interviewing Judith Levine about her fascinating book, The Feminist and the Sex Offender, Confronting Sexual Harm, Ending State Violence co-authored by Erica Meiners, and published by Verso Press. I get a little edgy while Madeline stays her sweet self. But the question for Judith is, why focus on the unfair punishment of sex offenders? The answer basically is that it’s supporting the prison system as it is and doesn’t, in fact, prevent sex offenses in the future. That’s the nutshell answer. Listen to this podcast for the more sophisticated and nuanced expression of these views by Judith herself.
Judith Levine is the author of several other books including Harmful to Minors: The Perils of Protecting Children from Sex which was published in 2002. We discuss “carceral” vs “abolitionist” feminists and work through our curiosities and differences around sex offending. We ask who counts as a sex offender, and what counts as a sex offense. We debate punishment vs. restorative justice and apply this to research on recidivism. We also ask provocatively why, why as a feminist has she chosen to defend sex offenders when violence against women is still rampant? Savvy, funny, and oh so smart, you’ll want to hear Judith describe her book and brilliantly address our questions and concerns!
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sex-and-ethics-podcast/id1394861982
