Book excerpt: The number of female offenders in the United States is skyrocketing. Our "tough on crime" approach puts a female offender behind bars, but doesn't consider the factors eading to her incarceration. Female Offenders: Critical Perspectives and Effective Interventions, Second Edition proposes an alternative, one that truly addresses the needs of female offenders and the root issues connected to their maladaptive behaviors, trauma histories, and mental health problems. By focusing on these root issues, this text prepares future correctional managers and supervisors to rehabilitate and empower female offenders to reenter society in a meaningful and productive way.The Second Edition includes chapters written by experts in the field that discuss the diversity of issues facing female offenders in our culture from a variety of perspectives. Grounded in the relevant research and literature, this book blends theory with practice by presenting theories on the rehabilitation of female offenders alongside program models and effective strategies for reentry into society.