BEGINNING WITH THE FIRST SCIENTIFIC STUDY ON THE SUBJECT PUBLISHED IN 1934, RESEARCH ON PRISONER SUBCULTURES IS CHRONICLED. CONSIDERATION IS GIVEN TO THEORETICAL APPLICATIONS AND INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVES. THE MANY GROUND-BREAKING STUDIES OF THE 1960'S, THEIR IMPLICATIONS, AND THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE FIELD ARE DETAILED. PUBLICATIONS IN THE SOCIOLOGICAL TRADITION ARE EXAMINED; METHODOLOGIES ALSO COVERED INCLUDE THE TOTAL INSTITUTION PERSPECTIVE, THE ECONOMIC APPROACH, THE PSYCHOLOGICAL APPROACH, AND INNOVATIVE SOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVES IN ECOLOGY AND MICROSOCIOLOGY. AMONG THE TOPICAL APPROACHES OUTLINED ARE SEXUAL BEHAVIOR, RACE RELATIONS, VIOLENCE, AND PRISONS FROM AN INTERNATIONAL STANDPOINT. ALSO TREATED ARE STUDIES ON FEMALE PRISONER SUBCULTURES, NOT PUBLISHED IN GREAT NUMBER UNTIL THE 1960'S, WITH INSTITUTIONS FOR WOMEN AND DELINQUENT GIRLS HANDLED TOGETHER DUE TO THE SMALL NUMBER OF STUDIES AVAILABLE AND THE SIMILARITIES OF THESE SUBCULTURES ACROSS DIFFERENT AGE LEVELS. A SEPARATE SECTION DEALS WITH RESEARCH DONE ON INSTITUTIONS FOR BOYS. RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN PRISONER SUBCULTURES, SUCH AS PRISONERS' RIGHTS, POLITICIZATION OF PRISONERS, RACE AND ETHNIC GROUP RELATIONS, PRISONER DRUG USE, ECONOMIC EXPLOITATION OF PRISONERS, SELF-GOVERNMENT, VIOLENCE, FAMILY RELATIONS AND HOMOSEXUALITY, SOCIAL SCIENCE RESEARCH, DEINSTITUTIONALIZATION, AND WOMEN'S ISSUES, ARE DISCUSSED. THE AUTHOR CONCLUDES WITH THEORETICAL GENERALIZATIONS AND SUGGESTIONS. AN INDEX IS PROVIDED.