Pre-scientific theories of the 19th century held that, while male criminal offenders could be rehabilitated, female offenders could not. Elizabeth Fry and her successors were the first to believe that women could be reformed; their efforts led to the belief that crime was caused by social and economic conditions. Cesare Lombroso was the first well known criminologist who posited biology as the cause of crime. While the rest of his theories have been rejected, his hypothesis that female offenders have a large number of inherent degenerative characteristics is still accepted in some circles. Sigmund Freud believed that women were a product of their inferior anatomy, and their low social conscience could easily lead them to crime. His views precluded rehabilitation of female criminals. The theory of W.I. Thomas held that women were of lower intelligence and morality than men and should be treated differently by the law, thus leading to the basis of chivalry in sentencing for female offenders. 16 references