As of August 1988, there were 2,840 women in the Federal prison system, although there are no clear data on how many of these are from North Carolina. There are approximately 560 women in the State system. These women display a number of characteristics. They usually have been on welfare, they are codependent personalities, they have usually been involved with a man that in some way led to the commission of crime, and they tend to come from dysfunctional homes where they were abused. There is a need for alternative facilities for placement of women and children and disabled women, legal services, detoxification programs, visiting facilities, day care and educational grants, halfway houses and day programs, vocational programs, and programs that facilitate ties with the community. In addition, legislative reforms are needed in such areas as marital rape, self-defense, and post-release services. A list of 60 questions is provided to help correctional administrators evaluate their correctional policies and programs for female inmates. It is suggested that individuals interested in correctional reform learn about local, State, and Federal institutions; lobby for needed changes; litigate issues for women's rights in corrections; locate alternatives to incarceration; link up with local, State, and National resource networks; and show concern for women.