A COMPREHENSIVE INMATES'-EYE VIEW OF PRISON LIFE IS SET AGAINST A BACKDROP OF 'OBJECTIVE' INFORMATION ON HOW INDIVIDUAL PRISONERS RELATE TO AND COPE WITH THEIR ENVIRONMENT. THE AUTHOR CONDUCTED 1,000 INTERVIEWS WITH INMATES AND GUARDS IN SEVERAL KINDS OF PRISONS TO DISCOVER WHAT FACTORS THE PRISONERS THEMSELVES REGARD AS IMPORTANT IN DETERMINING WHETHER A GIVEN SETTING IS A GOOD OR BAD PLACE IN WHICH TO 'DO TIME.' SEVERAL SALIENT INMATE CONCERNS EMERGED: PRIVACY, SAFETY, STRUCTURE (STABILITY OF THE EVIRONMENT), SUPPORT (PRISON PROGRAMS), FEEDBACK (OUTSIDE TIES), ACTIVITY, AND FREEDOM. EACH FACTOR IS DESCRIBED IN DETAIL AND ILLUSTRATED WITH EXTENSIVE QUOTES FROM THE INTERVIEWS. THE AUTHOR DEVELOPED A 'PRISON INVENTORY' TO MEASURE THE RELATIVE IMPORTANCE OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS FOR INDIVIDUAL PRISONERS. THE INVENTORY ILLUSTRATES THE VARIABILITY OF RESPONSES BY INDIVIDUALS TO THE SAME SETTING AND THE DIFFERENTIAL IMPACTS OF SETTINGS ON THE SAME PERSON. THE CONCLUSION DRAWN FROM THIS STUDY IS THAT ORGANIZATIONS ARE MORE LIKELY TO ACHIEVE THEIR OBJECTIVE IF AN ATTEMPT IS MADE TO MATCH PERSONS, WITH THEIR DISTINCTIVE PATTERNS OF PREFERENCE, WITH RELEVANT CHARACTERISTICS OF PARTICULAR SURROUNDINGS. THE PRISON PREFERENCE INVENTORY QUESTIONNAIRE AND SCORING KEY, A BIBLIOGRAPHY, AND AN INDEX ARE APPENDED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED).