The results of the study show that women present a better interpersonal state and psychological health than do men. For both genders, the consequences of fulfilling or not fulfilling interpersonal needs, specifically, social loneliness and sexual satisfaction were associated with psychological health. The findings suggest the importance of the state of prison inmates’ interpersonal needs in promoting psychological health in the context of the prison, where the needs are generally difficult to be met. It is suggested that making contacts possible between male and female inmates in the same prison could help to better fulfill some of their interpersonal needs. The existing literature on prison inmates has strongly emphasized the difficulties in fulfilling interpersonal needs in the prison’s environment. This research investigates the ways in which different aspects of interpersonal needs affect the inmates’ psychological health in a context that separates them from their loved ones and limits their type of relationships. The study focused on gender differences in the degree of fulfillment of every interpersonal need and in the level of psychological health. In-person interviews were conducted with 118 male and 70 female inmates. Table, references