Family functioning was assessed though interview data and standardized measures. Inmates and their wives were asked questions about prison life covering means of communication with wife and children and their impact on family relationships, quality of relationships with and perceived closeness to wife and children, relevant childhood experiences, perceptions of the father role, family decisionmaking currently and prior to incarceration, and for FRP participants what occurred during trailer visits and how they felt about the visits. Wives were asked additional questions about living circumstances, children's problems, and source of financial and social support. Following the interviews, the participants responded in writing to two standardized measures: the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scale and the Family Crisis Oriented Personal Evaluation Scale. The results of the study showed a similarity in both groups regarding family cohesion and lack of adaptability. However, the FRP inmates reported feeling closer to their families than non-FRP inmates. 23 references (Author abstract modified)