Some 85,500 offenses against prison discipline were punished in 1991, 4.5 percent more than in 1990. The figures for females have generally been more volatile than for males, as the 1991 total rose by 6 percent. The number of offenses punished per head of average population also increased in 1991, to 1.9. This is the highest recorded figure in the last decade. As in previous years, the rate for females (2.9) was higher than for males (1.9). The female rate, having been static for the past 3 years, is now at its highest level since 1986. The male rate has steadily increased since 1987 and is also at its highest recorded level for the past decade. Details of the offenses punished in individual facilities, together with the types of punishments awarded are presented in three tables. Boards of Visitors punished 4.7 percent of offenses in 1991, the lowest proportion recorded since 1987. The proportion for females has returned to its pre-1987 levels in exceeding the males, reversing the trend of 1988 and 1989. The offenses for which punishments were more frequently awarded in 1991 were, as in earlier years, disobedience, disrespect, and offenses against good order and discipline. 16 tables