The decree resulted from a civil action suit brought in 1972 by an inmate housed in a Federal facility as a result of the lack of prison space for females in the District of Columbia. The 1976 decree set 9 months from parole eligibility as the cutoff point determining most inmates' housing in jail in the District of Columbia or in a Federal prison in West Virginia or another State. In direct contradiction to the intent of the decree, the implementing agencies -- the United States Parole Commission and the District of Columbia Department of Corrections -- instituted procedures that resulted in more lengthy sentences for women and more time served outside the District of Columbia. A lack of specificity in the decree standards, together with the communication failure, were the main contributors to the failure of the implementation. After the publication of these findings, the two agencies wrote a memorandum of understanding designed to correct the implementation problems. It remains to be seen whether this step will overcome obstacles to implementation. Notes and a list of five references are provided.