Rockell is currently a professor of sociology at St. John Fisher College. However her interest in female repeat offenders is far from academic. She worked for many years in criminal justice departments before finishing her doctorate. Along with her experience in law enforcement, she also interviewed women in the jails of Rochester, New York. These are women generally arrested for drug dealing, prostitution, petty theft or fraud. They have generally been seen as a group, victimized by men. Rockell"s conclusions support some of the beliefs that most of these women came from abusive homes but she also points out the variety of experiences and the different ways in which individual women react. She has defined several types of women, from those who see hustling as a way to make quick money, to those so traumatized by their lives that they can"t imagine anything more. Where Rockell differs from other sociologists is that she feels that most of the women are not passive victims but active agents determined to survive in any way they can. Annotation ©2008 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)