THE STUDY SAMPLE, REPRESENTATIVE OF ALL INCARCERATED FEMALE OFFENDERS, INCLUDES TWO GROUPS: 237 FEMALES SENTENCED TO MORE THAN 2 YEARS IN PRISON (GROUP A); AND 128 WITH SENTENCES UNDER 2 YEARS (GROUP B). IN BOTH GROUPS, THE PROPERTY OFFENSE IS THE MOST COMMON TYPE OF OFFENSE. MOST GROUP A OFFENDERS HAD BEEN SENTENCED FOR OFFENSES COMMITTED AT THEIR PLACE OF WORK AND FOR MISUSE OF THEIR OFFICIAL POSITION. THESE SUBJECTS ENJOYED GOOD REPUTATIONS, AND THEIR ABUSE OF ALCOHOL WAS NOT SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER THAN THAT AMONG OTHER POLISH WOMEN. FOR MOST OF THESE SUBJECTS, DRINKING HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THEIR CRIMES. IN GROUP B, STEALING FROM PRIVATE PERSONS WAS THE MOST COMMON OFFENSE. GROUP B SUBJECTS TENDED TO HAVE A BAD REPUTATION IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS OR TO HAVE NO FIXED ABODE. MOST HAD NO JOBS. A LINK WITH ALCOHOL WAS FOUND FOR 68.6 PERCENT OF THE GROUP B SUBJECTS; 22.9 PERCENT WERE ALCOHOLICS. IN GROUP A, A LINK TO ALCOHOL ABUSE WAS FOUND FOR OFFENSES AGAINST AUTHORITIES AND INSTITUTIONS AND FOR COMMITTED OR ATTEMPTED HOMICIDE. THE LINK IS HIGHEST IN THE 30-40 AGE GROUP, LOWEST AMONG THOSE OVER AGE 50. NO STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT CORRELATIONS WERE FOUND BETWEEN ALCOHOLISM AND EITHER THE NUMBER OF SENTENCES SERVED OR RECIDIVISM. TABULAR DATA ARE INCLUDED.