The cases took place during 1980 and 1981 and involved 210 men and 111 women defendants, with 8 men and 8 women appearing as codefendants. The cases rarely matched one another in all respects but gender. Most of the men had previous convictions; most of the women were appearing for the first time. Fines were the most common penalty, but the women were usually responsible for child care and support and had no income other than social security benefits or small housekeeping allowances. On the few occasions on which men and women appeared in similar circumstances, they received similar sentences. However, interchanges among attorneys, police, and court personnel clearly demonstrated the use of a model in which the family consists of a male earner and a dependent woman who cares for the home and the children. This model underlies pleas of mitigation, other court reports, and application for bail, although bail applications indicate that such a family structure may offer a form of control comparable to that offered by the prison system. Case examples and notes