THE STUDY WAS UNDERTAKEN TO IDENTIFY PERCEPTUAL AND ATTITUDINAL DETERMINANTS OF LONG-TERM CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR. THIS STUDY OF INMATE PERCEPTIONS WAS DEEMED IMPORTANT TO CRIMINOLOGISTS BECAUSE IN ORDER TO CONTROL OR 'REHABILITATE' CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR, THE PROCESSES THAT DIRECTLY INFLUENCE THE BEHAVIOR MUST BE CHANGED. FROM THE STUDY, IT IS CONCLUDED THAT LARGE, HETEROGENEOUS PRISONS ARE NOT APT TO BE CONDUCIVE TO REHABILITATION. A NECESSARY PRECONDITION FOR POSITIVE BEHAVIORAL CHANGES IS AN ATMOSPHERE IN WHICH A PERSON FEELS ACCEPTED, UNDERSTOOD, AND FEELS THAT OTHER AROUND HIM VALUE HIM AND ARE INTERESTED IN WORKING WITH HIM. THIS KIND OF AN ATMOSPHERE APPARENTLY DOES NOT EXIST IN LARGE PENITENTIARIES, AS THIS STUDY SHOWS THAT THE TWO MAIN GROUPS WITH WHOM AN INMATE HAS CONTACT -- OTHER INMATES AND SECURITY GUARDS -- HAVE NEGATIVE EVALUATIVE PERCEPTIONS TOWARD HIM. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)...KAP