The construction of the facility was completed in 1968. Since that time, the facility has been troubled by serious incidents and escapes, attributable to management problems and understaffing. Although inmates have adopted a community concept for containing violence, incidents, primarily related to gang activity, continue within the facility. Ethnic gangs continue to be a problem, and the system is further burdened by the increasing proportion of mentally disturbed inmates in the inmate population. As a result of inmate suicides and self-inflicted injury among psychiatrically disturbed inmates, a special unit was established in 1985. The general profile of the inmate at Paremoremo is a male with an extensive history of previous offending; early entry into the system; and a history of family disruption, drug and alcohol abuse, emotional or psychiatric disturbance, and involvement in serious and usually violent offending. Prison statistics are appended. Chapter notes and 50 references.