STATISTICS SHOW THAT THE PROPORTION OF WOMEN IN CRIME IN 1974 WAS GREATER THAN AT ANY TIME SINCE WORLD WAR II; HOWEVER, THE INCREASE HAS BEEN IN CERTAIN TYPES OF OFFENSES--FORGERY, FRAUD, AND EMBEZZLEMENT. CRIMES OF VIOLENCE AND THE TRADITIONAL FEMALE CRIME OF PROSTITUTION AND CHILD ABUSE HAVE NOT INCREASED. IF THIS TREND CONTINUES, IN 20 YEARS, WOMEN WILL BE INVOLVED IN WHITE-COLLAR CRIMES IN PROPORTION WITH THEIR REPRESENTATION IN SOCIETY VIS-A-VIS MEN. THE FACT THAT FEMALE ARRESTS HAVE INCREASED FOR THE AFOREMENTIONED OFFENSES IS CONSISTENT WITH THE OPPORTUNITY THEORY OF CRIME PATTERNS, WHICH VIEWS THE INCREASED EMPLOYMENT OF WOMEN IN THE MARKETPLACE AS AN EXPANDED OPPORTUNITY FOR FEMALE CRIME IN THAT ARENA. WHILE JUDICIAL STATISTICS ARE NOT AVAILABLE IN A FORM THAT PERMITS LONG-RANGE ANALYSIS, THE FEDERAL STATISTICS SHOW THAT THE INCREASE IN CONVICTIONS HAS FOLLOWED THE INCREASE IN ARRESTS FOR FEMALE WHITE-COLLAR CRIMES. PRISON STATISTICS DO NOT SHOW A GROWING PROPORTION OF WOMEN BEING INCARCERATED, HOWEVER. IN PAROLE DECISIONS, WOMEN DO NOT APPEAR TO HAVE ANY ADVANTAGE OVER MEN; ONCE PAROLE IS GRANTED, HOWEVER, THEY ARE SOMEWHAT MORE LIKELY THAN MEN TO STAY OUT OF PRISON. INTERVIEWS WERE CONDUCTED RECENTLY WITH 30 CRIMINAL COURT JUDGES AND PROSECUTING ATTORNEYS IN FOUR LARGE CITIES IN THE MIDWEST, ASKING THEM TO DESCRIBE THEIR EXPERIENCES WITH FEMALE OFFENDERS IN TERMS OF TYPES OF OFFENSES, OFFENDER CHARACTERISTICS, AND ANY VARIATIONS BETWEEN THE CONVICTION AND SENTENCING OF MEN AND WOMEN. FROM THESE INTERVIEWS, THE PROFILE OF THE WOMAN WHOM THESE OFFICIALS SEE MOST OFTEN HAS THESE CHARACTERISTICS: BLACK, LOWER CLASS, POORLY EDUCATED, AND WITH SEVERAL CHILDREN. THE CRIMES WITH WHICH THEY ARE MOST OFTEN CHARGED ARE SHOPLIFTING AND OTHER FORMS OF THEFT, DRUG USE, AND CRIMES OF PASSION THAT INVOLVE KILLING A HUSBAND, LOVER, OR THE 'OTHER WOMAN'. THE WOMEN ARE MOST OFTEN THE ACCOMPLICES OF MEN IN CRIME RATHER THAN THE ORGANIZERS OF THE CRIMINAL ACTIVITY. WHILE THE SEX OF THE WOMAN DOES NOT INFLUENCE WHETHER OR NOT SHE IS CONVICTED OF THE CRIME WITH WHICH SHE IS CHARGED, THE OFFICIALS ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THE SENTENCING OF FEMALES COMPARED WITH THAT OF MALES TENDS TO BE MORE LENIENT. MOST RESPONDENTS DID NOT EXPECT ANY GREAT CHANGE IN THE PATTERNS OF FEMALE OFFENDERS AND THEIR HANDLING BY THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM IN THE NEAR FUTURE. (RCB)