In this article specific forces were studied that intersect to propel African American women into the criminal justice system. The issues discussed included, but were not limited to, substance abuse, sexual abuse, fractured family relations, and abusive intimate relationships. Prior studies have also indicated that African American women's criminal involvement arise from additional complex social problems, such as lack of education, single parenthood, unemployment, and being on welfare. For many African American women being in prison is a familiar, possibly learned process. Prior to incarceration, their lives may have been confined in their communities, restrained by their families' circumstances, and severely limited by abuse in their intimate relationships, making a break from incarceration difficult. Prison is seen as offering a "safe" temporary environment from the harsh realities of life outside. The article states that it is unclear whether African American women's criminal participation is rooted primarily in their learned gender definition, their economic marginalization, their personal inadequacy, or some other factor or combination of these. In summary, criminologists and prison administrators need to look toward a macro-social narrative of an African American woman's experience in U.S. culture. References