However, as the number of female inmates rises and jails experience crowding in their female cellblocks, the justification for a female classification system becomes clearer. This study used data from Bureau of Justice Statistics surveys conducted in 1972, 1978, 1983, and 1989 to compare the social and demographic characteristics, legal variables, and special needs of male and female inmates to determine whether the same variables should be used to classify them. Inmates were similar in age, race, and education, as well as in marital status. Female inmates were more likely than males to have children, while males were more likely to have been employed at the time of their arrest. Over the years of the surveys, both genders reported an increase in the proportion who had completed some college education. The findings suggest that both men and women would benefit from GED preparation or other skills training programs, as well as parenting classes. High proportions of both women and men had previous criminal records, although the number jailed each year for violent crimes declined. 2 tables