Feminist On Cellblock Y Thesis

Feminist on Cellblock Y Research Paper Leonel Rojas-Gutierrez
Department of Criminal Justice, California State San Bernardino
CJUS 3320: Theories of Crime and Delinquency
Dr. Reveka Shteynberg
April 28, 2023

Abstract
The documentary The Feminist on Cellblock Y follows the story of Richard Edmond Vargas, commonly known as Richie, through his journey of incarceration and rehabilitation. Richie’s troubled past was influenced by his father’s enforcement of “toxic masculinity” and “patriarchy,” which led him to engage in delinquent behavior and eventually commit two armed robberies resulting in his incarceration. Richie’s delinquent behavior can be explained through the Social Bond Theory, a micro-level Social Control Theory, which

First, Richie had a troubled childhood, as toxic masculinity/patriarchy was enforced by his father. Like Richard stated, “patriarchy... is the biggest hinderance in our success” (Feminist on Cellblock Y, 2018). That belief of what is meant to be a “man” is the reason why most of the inmates futured in the film ended up in prison. Secondly, Richie started hanging out with gang members and got involved with drug abuse from the youthful age of 12. Throughout his adolescence, Richard became increasingly insecure and believed that being a black man meant being hyper-violent and hyper-masculine. This insecurity led him to commit two armed robberies which resulted in his incarceration. Richie’s social bonds were largely formed within his gang and drug community, which perpetuated his delinquent behavior. He believed that getting high made him feel accepted and helped him look tough. Richard’s engagement in delinquency and criminal activity continued until his incarceration in August 2013 after a year in Los Angeles County jail and a year in high security prison. Despite his troubled past, Richie created, along with Charles Berry, the program Success Stories while he was incarcerated. The group’s purpose was to give inmates an opportunity to share their life experiences and inspire others to change their behavior (toxic masculinity/patriarchy). Through this program, Richie found a new perspective on life and learned to embrace the teachings of the group. During the documentary, Richard expresses regret for his past actions and acknowledges the harm that he has caused to others. He credits the Success Stories program for helping him turn his life around and for providing him with a sense of purpose. Richie’s attitude towards the group’s, Success Stories, teachings is positive and encourages other