Approximately 7 percent of the U.S. prison population is female. Their incarceration rates increased from 47 per 100,000 population in 1995 to 63 in 100,000 in 2004. The incarceration rate for Black women is just over four times greater than that of White women; for Hispanic women, the incarceration rate is nearly twice that of White women. The main categories of female offenses are violence offenses, property offenses, and drug-related crimes. Close scrutiny of the backgrounds of these crimes and their motives show that they differ from offenses by men. Women's offenses are closely related to women's structural situation in American society. They come from backgrounds of abuse by partners in intimate relationships and low-wage jobs while being the sole supporter of their children. Violent offenses by women often stem from protective reactions to abuse by their partners; drug crimes are often efforts to deal with stress (drug use) and increase income (drug dealing). Property crimes may be efforts to relieve conditions of poverty or support a drug habit. The stories of women offenders show how, in many instances, childhood and adult abuse and single parenthood without outside support are interrelated with drug abuse or possession, as well as property crimes. Incarcerating such women aggravates rather than rehabilitates their lives. Correctional and social policy must move away from a retribution model to a medical model of prevention and healing that encompasses the circumstances of women's lives, particularly minority women. 15 references