Between 1980 and 1993, the number of women incarcerated in California increased by 450 percent, from 1,316 to 7,232 as of June 30, 1993. Women now account for 6.3 percent of the total prison population in California, compared to a national average of 5.7 percent. The imprisonment rate for California women is about 45 per 100,000 population. The percentage of women incarcerated for drug offenses more than doubled between 1984 and 1993. At the present time, over one-third of all women in California prisons are serving sentences for drug offenses. In addition, many women parolees are returned to prison for technical parole violations because they fail to pass random drug tests. The authors contend that the increasing incarceration rate for women in California is a direct result of short-sighted legislative responses to the problems of drugs and crime, responses shaped by the assumption that criminals are generally brutal males. Characteristics of women in California prisons are described, and an offense profile is included. The nature of physical, sexual, and emotional abuse suffered by women is discussed, as well as the influence of drug and alcohol use and economic factors on the commission of crime by women. Special problems faced by imprisoned mothers and the capacity and characteristics of women's prisons are examined. The need to reduce female imprisonment through community-based strategies and programs is stressed, and the efficacy of detention versus prevention is considered. 17 references, 2 tables, and 2 graphs