WITH RESPECT TO MEN'S PRISONS IN THE UNITED STATES, THE FIRST THREE PAPERS TAKE ISSUE WITH THE TRADITIONAL, FUNCTIONALIST MODEL. AN EXAMINATION IS MADE OF HOW THE THEORIES OF THE 'BIG HOUSE' (A NAME USED BY CONVICTS IN THE 1930'S AND BY HOLLYWOOD) HAVE DISTORTED THE SOCIAL REALITY OF THE PRISONS ON WHICH THEY WERE BASED; A NUMBER OF FACTORS ARE IDENTIFIED WHICH HAVE DISTORTED REALITY AND WEAKENED THE PRACTICABILITY OF TRADITIONAL THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVES. THE IMPORTANCE OF PREPRISON EXPERIENCES OF RACIAL IDENTITY AND SOCIALIZATION IN INFLUENCING ADAPTATIONS TO INCARCERATION IS DISCUSSED. EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE IS CITED THAT INCARCERATION INCREASES RADICAL ATTITUDES, AND PROFILES OF THE PRISONERS MOST LIKELY AND LEAST LIKELY TO BE RADICALIZED ARE CONSTRUCTED AND COMPARED. THREE FURTHER STUDIES DEAL WITH PUBLIC POLICY AND PENAL SANCTIONS, ONE OF WHICH CHALLENGES THE WIDELY HELD ASSUMPTION THAT PUNISHMENT IS A RATIONAL REFLECTION OF PUBLIC INDIGNATION, CONTENDING THAT, CROSS-CULTURALLY, MORAL INDIGNATION HAS LITTLE OR NO RELATIONSHIP TO THE PENALTY STRUCTURES EXAMINED. COMPARATIVE EFFECTS OF MANDATORY AND DISCRETIONARY DEATH PENALTY STATUTES ON THE PROCESSING OF CAPITAL AND OTHER HOMICIDE OFFENDERS IN NEW YORK STATE ARE DISCUSSED; THE AUTHOR SPECULATES THAT PERHAPS DISCRIMINATION OPERATES AS A SYSTEM VARIABLE, WITH THE DEATH PENALTY BEING IMPOSED ON A RELATIVELY SMALL, CONSTANT SUBSET OF ALL OFFENDERS -- THOSE VIEWED AS THE MOST SERIOUS. EMERGING HARD-LINE POLICIES FOR DEALING WITH THE VIOLENT HABITUAL OFFENDER ARE TREATED IN ANOTHER PAPER; THE AUTHOR IMPLIES THAT THE SYSTEM MAY HAVE TO FOCUS THE CONTAINMENT POLICY ON YOUNG ADULTS. THE FINAL TWO PAPERS EMPHASIZE THE COMMUNITY. AN ANALYSIS IS PRESENTED OF THE IMPACT OF A COURT DECISION WHICH RESULTED IN THE RELEASE OF 'CRIMINALLY INSANE' PATIENTS FROM A MAXIMUM-SECURITY MENTAL HOSPITAL INTO THE COMMUNITY. THE AUTHORS COULD FIND NO EVIDENCE THAT THESE ALLEGEDLY DANGEROUS PATIENTS WERE INCAPABLE OF ADJUSTING TO A COMMUNITY SETTING. THE AUTHORS OF A PAPER ON COMMUNITY CORRECTIONS CHALLENGE THE WIDELY HELD BELIEF THAT THE CONCEPT OF COMMUNITY CORRECTIONS IS A MORE HUMANE AND COST-EFFECTIVE APPROACH TO THE CRIME PROBLEM, SUGGESTING THAT COMMUNITY-BASED CORRECTIONS ACTUALLY RESULTS IN A NET INCREASE IN THE STATE'S SOCIAL CONTROL SYSTEMS, SUBJECTING EVEN MORE CITIZENS TO PUNITIVE SANCTIONS, EVEN THOUGH THESE ARE LESS SEVERE THAN IMPRISONMENT. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED).