Examines offending by adult women and their handling by the criminal justice system. Utilizing the self-reports of victims of personal contact crimes gathered in the National Criminal Victimization Survey from 1993-97, the report analyzes offense patterns, rates of offending, and the contingencies and consequences of crimes committed by women. It also provides an extensive examination of homicides committed by women and trends in murder.

Data on arrests, convictions, and sentencing of women from FBI and BJS national data series are also explored and case-processing flows are estimated for men and women offenders. This comprehensive analysis of offending by women also utilizes detailed data on women offenders gathered from periodic surveys of offenders on probation or in confined populations. These sample survey data cover a wide variety of topics, including prior criminal record, substance abuse and treatment, health condition, children and family background, poverty, employment, and recidivism. Information on correctional institutions for women is also provided, including data on the number and types of such facilities and their characteristics.