The physical design features of the "new generation" facilities appear to have had a significant positive impact on the social organization of the prison, the inmate culture, and the nature of inmate-staff interactions. These facilities are designed to increase the correctional officer's direct supervision of inmates and to humanize the environment by providing inmates with greater choice and privacy. Violence, vandalism, and other behavioral problems are less in these new facilities. The research has recognized the importance of the interaction of person and environment. The fact that objective, physical settings may be experienced differently by persons who do not have similar characteristics is acknowledged by scholars. Researchers concerned with transactional theory share with the developers of the new prisons the recognition of the importance of considering individual needs in structuring physical and social environments in prisons. Research describing the effects of policy change suggests that environments tend to be stable but that their disruption can result in the escalation of violence. 101 references.