POOR SELF-IMAGE, PARENTAL NEGLECT, DISRUPTED FAMILY LIFE AND A POVERTY BACKGROUND WERE FOUND TO BE TYPICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF FEMALE INMATES, AS WERE LOW IQ (INTELLIGENT QUOTIENT) SCORES, FEW MORAL VALUES, AND A LOW AMBITION AS COMPARED TO NONINCARCERATED WOMEN. RESEARCHERS DO NOT FEEL THAT FEMALES ARE COMMITTING MORE SERIOUS CRIMES THAN IN THE PAST. THEY POINT OUT THAT WOMEN ARRESTED FOR SUCH CRIMES AS ROBBERY AND BURGLARY USUALLY PLAY A SECONDARY ROLE AND ARE OFTEN MORE VULNERABLE TO ARREST. A SUMMARY OF DEMOGRAPHIC SURVEYS, PERSONAL INTERVIEWS, PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTING, AND STATISTICAL PREDICTIONS INDICATES INCARCERATED JUVENILES HAVE CHARACTERISTICS OF BROKEN HOMES, NEGLECTFUL PARENTS, LACK OF AFFECTION, LOW SELF-IMAGE AND SELF-ESTEEM, AND A 6TH TO 10TH GRADE EDUCATION. INCARCERATED ADULTS WERE GENERALIZED TO BE UNDER 30 YEARS OF AGE, WITH FEW JOB SKILLS/AND LOW INCOME, WERE HEADS OF HOUSEHOLDS AND FREQUENT USERS OF DRUGS. SUCCESSFUL FEMALE PAROLEES ARE CHARACTERIZED BY SHORT PRIOR RECORDS OR NO PRIOR RECORD, GOOD JOB SKILLS, MINIMAL OR NO USE OF DRUGS, AND USUALLY WHITE AND OLDER. PROBLEMS WITH CORRECTIONAL PROGRAMS FOR WOMEN ARE ATTRIBUTABLE TO WOMEN BEING ASSIGNED A SECOND CLASS SOCIAL STATUS. COURTS SEE SEVERE ENFORCEMENT AGAINST WOMEN AS A MEANS OF LIMITING THEIR SEXUAL ACTIVITY. THE PAPER CONCLUDES THAT CORRECTIONAL PROGRAMS SHOULD CONCENTRATE ON HELPING WOMEN OFFENDERS AND FORGET IMAGE AND MYTHS ABOUT FEMALE INMATES. (AJJ)