Even though only 6 percent of female defendants receive imprisonment sentences and women comprise only about 4 percent of the prison population, female prisoners differ from male prisoners in terms of current offense, previous record, and victimization level. The female prison population is increasing at a rate faster than the male prison population, and the proportion of women serving long sentences has increased. The trend is toward more women in prison for drug-related offenses. A significant number of female prisoners come from ethnic minorities. Female prisoners appear to have different responsibilities from male prisoners, the clearest example being women's child care responsibilities. Although penal policies have been established to deal specifically with women, many of these policies may be outdated or unsound. Further, the female prison system differs from the male prison system in that its small size makes it difficult to provide a full range of facilities and services for women, and its geographic spread means that many women serve their sentences far from home. It also appears that the prison system has a different impact on women than on men. Women's prisons in general have higher rates of offenses related to prison discipline, drug prescription, and self-mutilation. Female prison officers experience higher levels of sickness than male prison officers, and turnover is greater among female officers. It is contended that policies for prisoners in general may work for men but necessarily for women. 210 references, 58 tables, 7 figures.