Much is made of the fact that most criminals are men. Although I'm not a feminist—that is, I don't believe that the criminality of some men somehow taints all men—I do believe that men have a special relationship with crime and justice. The fact that most criminals are men means that all of us think about and experience crime and justice differently from the way that women do. Women see crime as something done by another race of people; they see it as something done to them by others. Men look at criminals and think, "There, but for the grace of God, go I." This is why the kind of justice system that women want is at once more compassionate and much harsher than the kind of justice system that men want. Women want compassionate treatment for crime that they can understand and forgive, and no mercy for crime that they cannot forgive. Good men do not see such a firm dividing line between themselves and criminals, and so tend toward well-defined rules and consequences.
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