About Sisters in Crime

Sisters in Crime (SinC) was founded in 1986 to promote the ongoing advancement, recognition, and professional development of women crime writers. SinC has always been an advocacy organization and, over the years, we have expanded our mission to support other marginalized writers. We are deeply committed to our core values of advocacy, equity, inclusion, and community. SinC’s dedication to our mission and our values, especially in advocating for our members, underlines our unwavering support for efforts to make our mystery writing community a safe and welcoming space for all.

Vision, Mission, and Core Values

Vision...

Sisters in Crime sets standards for itself, its members, and the crime writing community. Through advocacy, programming, and leadership, SinC empowers and supports all crime writers regardless of genre or position on their career trajectory.

Mission...

Sisters in Crime was founded in 1986 to promote the ongoing advancement, recognition and professional development of women crime writers.

Values...

SinC’s core values are intrinsic to our organization’s identity and are reflected in every decision, action, program, and communication we undertake. SinC’s core values are:

Advocacy: Championing our mission, vision, and members.
Equity: Fair and just practices and policies that ensure all community members have the opportunities and access they need to thrive, participate, and succeed.
Inclusion: Actively, intentionally, and continually creating an environment where every member of our community is valued, respected, and has a sense of belonging. Such an environment enables all members to participate fully and achieve their highest potential.
Community: SinC is dedicated to fostering a community where every member truly belongs. Belonging defines a culture that values differences, where everyone feels accepted and free to express their authentic selves, and where individual needs are acknowledged and respected. Our community embraces everyone, regardless of gender identity, sexual orientation, race, age, religion, disability, neurodiversity, national origin, citizenship, socioeconomic status, educational background, publishing path, or chosen genre.

Member Code of Conduct

The following Code of Conduct has been developed to assist members in achieving a level of conduct that will enable SinC to achieve its mission:

Members will do their best to ensure that no current, new, or prospective member will be excluded or discriminated against due to any aspect of their identity.
Members will practice integrity and honesty and will encourage others to act in an ethical manner without discrimination.
Members will respect the dignity of others and refrain from the use of profane, insulting, or otherwise offensive language, including that which constitutes harassment or abuse of others who are participating with SinC.
Members will behave in ways that align with the core values of SinC. Some examples of the core values in practice include, but are not limited to:
- Recognizing, avoiding, and calling out discrimination (such as microaggressions).
- Allowing for a variety of needs and lived experiences to coexist.
- Respecting personal pronouns.
- Learning to pronounce names properly.
- Believing marginalized individuals or groups when they share experiences of exclusion, microaggressions, or other harmful behaviors.
- Ensuring minoritized members are not tokenized.
- Using SinC’s reporting mechanisms to address discrimination and/or harassment when it is experienced and/or witnessed.
- Using inclusive language in all SinC posts, discussions, and other community interactions.
- Being inclusive of people different from you without expecting others to assimilate to your own behaviors or beliefs.
- Welcoming diverse lived experiences at all levels of leadership at SinC.
- Utilizing learning resources curated and provided by SinC’s DEIJB Committee (Diversity Equity Inclusion Justice and Belonging).

Harassment and discrimination include behaviors that threaten, alarm, or cause discomfort to others.

Discrimination refers to actions that “others,” belittles, or excludes individuals based on their gender identity, sexual orientation, race, age, religion, disability, neurodiversity, national origin, citizenship, socioeconomic status, or educational background.

Our meetings and board actions will be held in environments free from discrimination and harassment, in alignment with our Member Code of Conduct and SinC’s core values. SinC will not accept or tolerate offensive, abusive, coercive, or other unwanted behavior that discriminates, violates personal dignity, or creates an intimidating, hostile, or demeaning environment, whether in public or private settings. This includes all forms of harassment—physical, psychological and verbal.

SinC’s reputation for integrity and excellence requires not only compliance with all local, state, and federally applicable laws and regulations, but also strict adherence to the highest standards of conduct as outlined in this document.

We expect SinC’s board, members, chapter board members, employees, vendors, volunteers, and others affiliated with our organization to conduct themselves—and any business associated with SinC— in accordance with the letter, spirit, and intent of all relevant laws. They must also refrain from any illegal, dishonest, or unethical conduct.

This Code of Conduct applies to anyone involved with Sisters in Crime, no matter where or when they’re acting on the organization’s behalf. This includes our members, board members, chapter board members, employees, vendors, and volunteers. We also expect guests to follow these rules at events sponsored either in full or in part by Sisters in Crime. Violating or refusing to adhere to this Member Code of Conduct could lead to consequences for non-compliance.

For additional information about these policies and how to register a complaint, please visit the national organization's website.