The majority of female inmates have been incarcerated because of either their aberrant domestic circumstances or their unconventional lifestyles, not because of the seriousness of their crimes. They suffer the same deprivations as male prisoners, plus more rigid disciplinary methods and fewer opportunities for education, work, and recreation. Tension and violence are also extensive, caused partly by the staff shortages resulting from funding cutbacks. In addition, four issues of critical importance are the inadequacies of the prison medical service, disciplinary procedures, the proposal for prisons housing both men and women, and the lack of support for female ex-offenders. Notes and addresses of sources of further information