REASONS WHY THE WOMAN IN PRISON HAS BEEN REFERRED TO AS THE 'FORGOTTEN OFFENDER' ARE PROPOSED AND DISCUSSED AS FOLLOWS: (1) THERE ARE SO FEW WOMEN IN PRISON, WITH 1970 STATISTICS SHOWING 5,600 WOMEN OUT OF 196,000 INMATES IN STATE AND FEDERAL PRISONS; (2) WOMEN INMATES HAVE NOT CALLED ATTENTION TO THEIR PLIGHT AS HAVE THE MEN THROUGH RIOTS AND DISRUPTION; AND (3) THE CRIMES WOMEN COMMIT ARE USUALLY ONES THAT INCONVENIENCE SOCIETY LESS THAN THE CRIMES MEN COMMIT. DESPITE THIS RELATIVE LACK OF INTEREST EXTENDING BACK WELL INTO THE 19TH CENTURY, SOCIAL REFORMERS, CLINICIANS, AND LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS HAVE BEEN CONCERNED ABOUT THE PHYSICAL CONDITIONS AND FACILITIES UNDER WHICH WOMEN INMATES MUST LIVE, THE TYPES OF EDUCATIONAL AND VOCATIONAL TRAINING PROGRAMS AVAILABLE, THE QUALITY AND BACKGROUND OF THE PERSONNEL WHO SUPERVISE THEM, AND THE SOCIAL ORGANIZATION WITHIN THE PRISON. THE SOCIAL ORGANIZATION HAS ATTRACTED PARTICULAR ATTENTION IN THE LAST TWO OR THREE DECADES WITH THE PUBLICATION OF TWO BOOKS, GIALLOMBARDO, 1967, AND WARD AND KASSENBAUM, 1965. STATISTICS ON THE PROPORTIONS OF WOMEN AND MEN WHO WERE SENTENCED TO ALL OF THE FEDERAL AND STATE INSTITUTIONS FOR SELECTED YEARS FROM 1950 TO 1970 ARE PRESENTED. WHAT INCREASE THERE HAS BEEN IN THE PROPORTION OF WOMEN SENTENCED TO PRISON HAS COME SOLELY FROM THE THREE FEDERAL INSTITUTIONS WHERE ONLY A SMALL MINORITY OF ALL THE WOMEN ARE SENT. THE TREND FOR THE STATE INSTITUTIONS IS IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION. COMMITMENT DATA BY SEX OVER SOME PERIODS OF TIME FOR NEW YORK AND CALIFORNIA ARE PRESENTED. THE NEW YORK DATA, WHICH ARE BASED ON THE NUMBER AND PROPORTIONS OF WOMEN COMMITTED TO NEW YORK STATE CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTIONS FOR EACH YEAR FROM 1963 TO 1971, SHOW THAT THE OVERALL PROPORTION OF FEMALES WHO ARE COMMITTED HAS DECLINED DURING THIS PERIOD. THE CALIFORNIA DATA, WHICH DENOTE THE NUMBER OF MEN AND WOMEN PRISONERS IN ALL CALIFORNIA CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTIONS FROM 1945 THROUGH 1972 DO NOT SHOW A MARKED INCREASE IN THE PERCENTAGE OF WOMEN PRISONERS FROM THE LATE 1960'S TO 1972. THESE STATISTICS DO NOT SUPPORT THE HYPOTHESIS THAT THE WOMEN'S MOVEMENT WILL STIMULATE A TREND TOWARD MORE EQUIVALENT SENTENCING BETWEEN MEN AND WOMEN FOR THE SAME OFFENSES. REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED. (RCB)