The participants in the study underwent the standard detention center regime of physical training, personal hygiene, maintaining a clean and neat room, and demonstration of effort and improvement. Assessment was performed at three points: upon incarceration, at the mid-point of the sentence, and at the end of the sentence. Demographic data obtained during a semi-structured interview covered previous non-custodial convictions, familial history of crime, level of crime among peers, and home and regional backgrounds. Assessment tests included the Bennett Self-Attitude Inventory, the Warr and Jackson Positive and Negative Self-Esteem Scale, Coopersmith's Behavior Rating Form, the Beck Hopelessness Scale, and Thornton's Custodial Adjustment Scale. Analyses of the findings show that the levels of self esteem of inmates increase linearly during the imprisonment time, whereas hopelessness and distress among inmates decrease significantly. These results do not support the view that detention center regimes adversely impact on inmates. 31 references