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A prospective, six-year follow-up investigation of 66 convicted female felons indicated that psychiatric, social, and familial factors defined and measured at the time of the index study affected the rate of criminal recidivism. Wide individual variation in the course of female criminality was observed. Prolonged supervision on parole or probation appeared to have therapeutic benefit. The most powerful predictors of recidivism were the diagnoses of drug dependence and antisocial personality, and a history of homosexuality. Familial criminality and maternal hysteria were also associated with an increased risk of serious and persistent recidivism. Educational, marital, and employment status contributed to a lesser extent, while race and type of index offense were only significant (P less than .05) when minor offenses were considered.

Among 66 female felons unselected for psychiatric referral, 31 (47%) were diagnosed alcoholic. This rate is similar to that found in male criminals, whereas in most groups men alcoholics far outnumber women alcoholics. Alcoholism was associated with antisocial personality and homosexuality in this sample, but not with affective disorder. On follow-up 6 years later, 52% of the alcoholic women were in remission. Alcohol abuse was associated with medical problems, with the alcoholic subjects accounting for most deaths, serious medical illness, and psychiatric hospitalization. Criminal recidivism was not significantly related to alcoholism. The remitted alcoholics did not turn to drugs, and, with one exception, remitted drug-dependent women did not turn to alcohol.

A study of 50 consecutive individuals referred for pretrial psychiatric examination, presumably because of previous psychiatric hospitalization (82 percent), indicated that antisocial personality, alcoholism, or drug dependence was present in 80 percent. Schizophrenia or bipolar affective disorder was seen in about a third of the subjects, usually associated as well, however, with antisocial personality, alcoholism, or drug dependence. There were no significant differences in index crime between those with or without schizophenia bipolar affective disorder. It is concluded that the latter conditions occur in no more than two or three per cent of all felons.