This text examines the various roles of women in the criminal justice system against a social context in which women are oppressed. The text examines the following three roles of women in criminal justice: *Women as victims of crimes *Women as criminals convicted and sentenced for crimes *Women as workers in various agencies in the criminal justice system This text emphasizes content on gender and ethnic diversity and on the strengths of oppressed people, especially women of color. A wide range of issues are covered, including: the rate of early childhood sexual abuse, victimization in female inmates, priest abuse of girls, female inmate rape by male prison guard, and obstacles for women lawyers achieving partnerships in their firms. The authors provide a wealth of recent data drawn from both domestic and international human rights sources, as well as from personal interviews. The final portion of the text describes women's setbacks in entering the traditionally male dominated fields of policing, the law, and corrections. if people are given half a chance, they can draw on their own resources to heal from the past and build for the future. This empowerment approach is already prominent in the social work field and widely used in victim treatment programs for working with female offenders.