Article by Lance Gay states while some women have been successful after serving prison sentences, most female ex-convicts find it difficult to put their lives together without money, family or support. Gay quotes Dr. Katherine Ramsland, assistant professor of forensic psychology at DeSales, who says stories of women broken by prison are prevalent because most women do not have "the cushion of wealth that enables a comfortable transition from prison to normal society." According to Dr. Ramsland, where you were prior to going to prison has much to do with how do after you have served your sentence. According to government studies, 28 percent of women prisoners recommit crimes within three years of release and are sent back. For men, there is a 41 percent recidivist rate. In 1980, there were 20,000 women prisoners. In 2003, there were 101,179 women in state and federal prisons.