Data were collected from surveys completed by 174 inmates incarcerated in two Japanese facilities. The dependent variables, drawn from the Prison Social Climate Survey, included hopelessness, depression, work-frustration, family-worry, and suicidal thoughts. Independent variables were sex, recreation, visitors, services, perception of unfair treatment, and interaction with other inmates, while control variables included children, education, and marital status. Women inmates were much more likely than their male counterparts to experience feelings of hopelessness, depression, and frustration with their work. When the gender variable is controlled for, lack of visitors best explains hopelessness, while lack of interaction with fellow inmates predicts depression and, to some degree, suicidal ideation. While women were more dissatisfied with the prison medical services than the men, they did not report more illnesses during their incarceration. Being worried about family was related to lack of education and having visitors, while suicidal thoughts were strongly correlated to being marked and weakly related to lack of interaction with other inmates. The findings are explained in terms of the Japanese societal emphasis on shame. 2 tables, 6 notes, 41 references, and 1 appendix