In 1984, more than 50 pregnant women were incarcerated at Massachusetts's only correctional facility for women. Analysis of a random sample of these women at the Framingham facility showed that 63 percent had no prior incarceration. The offenders were typically serving short sentences for property or drug-related crimes. Seventy-five percent were single parents. Many had little formal education and minimal job experience. Eighty percent of incarcerated women had substance abuse problems. Prenatal services were limited, despite some recent improvements. Infants were separated from their mothers within 48 hours of birth, hampering mother-infant attachment. Services should be improved to provide regular prenatal care, detoxification from methadone if desired, postpartum family planning, adequate rest during work assignments, and a maternity reassignment program to prevent separation of infants and mothers after birth. The recommended community-based residential program would cost no more than a prison bed. Programs currently operating in California, Florida, Georgia, and Texas offer successful models that Massachusetts could use. The Women's Health and Learning Center and Community Services for Women plans to convene a task force to follow up on the recommendations in this report.