Abstract :
The number of women in prison has increased by almost 100% during the 1990s in the United Kingdom. More than 60% of women prisoners are mothers; almost half of these have dependent children. The offences for which women are imprisoned are less serious than those committed by men, including 149 fine defaulters in 2000. More than 32% of women in prison are first offenders compared to 14% of men. There is a common misconception that the criminal behavior of women and the delinquent behavior of girls are not serious problems. However, violence and crime perpetrated by women have skyrocketed in the latter part of the twentieth century, and the number of female criminals appears to be growing. Research on female criminality is showing that the pace at which women are being convicted of serious offenses is increasing faster than the pace at which men are being convicted
