These descriptions of women offenders offer a microcosm of women in society at large. As Johnson points out, "their offenses are concentrated in the types of property crimes that could well be considered means of survival in a time when employment options for unskilled women are becoming increasingly restricted....Statistics suggest that offenders, like a great many Canadian women, need greater opportunities for advancement, job retraining and economic independence."

Women in conflict with the law, then, may have needs which differ considerably from male offenders'. The challenge is to provide programming which meets these needs, helping to break the cycle of poverty, abuse, alcoholism and despair which has been the lot of so many women who come up against the legal system.