The nearly 25,000 female convicts brought to Australia 200 years ago received much worse treatment than men both on the journey and in the colony, where they became either slaves, sexual objects, or workers at a female factory. A new female factory designed in 1819 provided little improvement over the previous one. The disadvantaged situation of women in prison in New South Wales was acknowledged in the early 1980's. The majority of the 300 recommendations of the 1985 report have been accepted in principle, but many of the early prejudices and myths about women in prison remain. Thus, the process of change can be painfully slow. The main women's prison, Mulawa, is being renovated on its existing site, with disruption from the construction to continue for 4 to 5 years. The concepts of unit living and participatory management are being developed. A bail coordinator also began working in 1986 to reduce the high numbers of detained women. In addition, legislative change has formally supported selected releases to the community to reunite women with their children. Efforts are also underway to carry out the concept of the total program package, through which women would receive a combination of work, vocational training, education, and recreation. The program will be fully established in 5 years, although setbacks could occur as a result of growing community pressures for retribution.