The Corrective Services Commission in Queensland, Australia, has recognized the needs of female prisoners by granting special needs status to women and by appointing a review committee to examine legislation, regulations, and rules governing prisoners and make recommendations for changes in their application to female inmates. In addition, a study of female inmates in New South Wales has determined that imprisonment should be a sentence of last resort, that courts should consider presentence reports to canvass sentencing options and provide information about the accused, and that courts should consider all sentencing options in a particular case in ascending order of severity. The number of female inmates in Australian prisons is increasing, from 400 in 1983 to 778 in 1990. If the rate of increase remains constant, the female population in Australian prisons exceed 1,500 in 1997. Imprisonment should be reserved only for those female offenders who pose a threat to human life, engage in illegal drug trafficking, commit grand theft or theft of an aggravated nature, commit fraud involving large sums of money, commit serious crimes against the economy or major environmental crimes, and commit treason. Cost-effective noncustodial alternatives to imprisonment include restitution, reconciliation, periodic detention, and unit or day fines. These alternatives avoid the negative effects of imprisonment, reduce crime and recidivism, provide a better way of compensating victims, and offer offenders an opportunity to address their offending behavior. 29 references and 1 table