The Women of Mexico’s Drug War - Julie Turkewitz - the Atlantic
Why are women like Claudia and Eunice getting involved with crime?
Almost every single woman told me a story about a boyfriend or a husband. The women were arrested alongside them. Also, many of women can’t support their families, so they commit crimes.
In prison, I met a woman there who is a schoolteacher. She was sophisticated. She was gorgeous. She was smart. She taught English and math and Spanish. But the teachers don’t get paid anything, so she couldn’t support her family. She also sold cosmetics on the side.
So this single mom got offered to take a package — not knowing the contents, but she’s smart enough to know that they’re probably drugs — from one place to another. She did the trip, and she got caught.
She’s guilty and she made a bad decision, but at the same time, why can’t you support your family if you’re working two jobs?
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