The study was based on interviews with staff at different grades across the range of disciplines represented in the prison and on questionnaires completed by inmates. The Winson Green Prison at Birmingham was selected for the study because it is a typical local prison that dates from the Victorian era and has overcrowding and other difficulties that are also found in many other local prisons across Great Britain. The study was conducted from February 1, 1992, to April 30, 1992. Although the number of staff interviewed and the number of questionnaires completed was relatively small, care was taken to ensure that the sample was representative. Based on the findings, the researchers concluded that prison is not an appropriate facility for mentally disturbed offenders, since, like most prisons, Winson Green is not structured for dealing appropriately with mentally disturbed inmates. Staff estimates indicate that a significant proportion of Winson Green inmates may be mentally disturbed; the reception process, however, includes only a partial assessment of mental disturbance. Prison routines were found to manage rather than care for mentally disturbed inmates, and staff were not trained to deal with mentally disturbed inmates. Other findings are that inmates are frightened for their safety; mentally disturbed remand inmates are less likely to be identified than convicted offenders; many inmates identify their own mental health needs; and existing arrangements for linking inmates to community services on release are limited. Appended data