SEVERAL STUDIES IN THE AREA OF PSYCHOPATHIC BEHAVIOR HAVE CONCENTRATED ON THE ORIENTATION OF THE PSYCHOPATH (AND THE DELINQUENT) ON THE TIME DIMENSION: DEFICIENCES IN TEMPORAL PERCEPTION ARE CONSIDERED TO BE ESSENTIAL COMPONENTS IN THE PERSONALITIES OF BOTH THE PSYCHOPATH AND THE DELINQUENT. MUCH OF THE RESEARCH IN THE FIELD OF TEMPORAL PERCEPTION IS DEVOTED TO TWO ASPECTS: (1) TIME PERSPECTIVE, INDICATING THE RANGE OF A PERSON'S FUTURE PLANNING; AND (2) THE ESTIMATION OF SHORT TIME INTERVALS, AS AN INDICATOR OF THE PERSON'S 'INTERNAL CLOCK.' STUDIES WHICH HAVE PRODUCED CONTRADICTORY FINDINGS ON THE DELINQUENT'S SHORTER OR LONGER FUTURE TIME PERSPECTIVE ARE SUMMARIZED. THE AUTHOR TRACES THE INCONSISTENT RESULTS TO INADEQUATE CONTROL OF THE FACTOR OF INSTITUTIONALIZATION WHILE STUDYING VARIOUS ASPECTS OF THE TIME SENSE AMONG DELINQUENTS AND NONDELINQUENTS. THIS ASPECT OF TEMPORAL PERCEPTION RESEARCH IS THEN EXAMINED FROM THE POINT OF VIEW OF PRISON AS A TOTAL INSTITUTION, AND THE EFFECT OF IMPRISONMENT ON TIME PERCEPTION IS DISCUSSED. THE STUDIES CITED DEMONSTRATE THE GREAT INFLUENCE THAT SITUATIONAL FACTORS MAY HAVE ON CHARACTERISTICS AND BEHAVIORS WHICH ARE VERY FREQUENTLY CONSIDERED AS STABLE AND SITUATION-FREE PERSONALITY TRAITS. IT WAS SHOWN IN A STUDY CONDUCTED BY THE AUTHOR THAT TOTAL INSTITUTIONS IN GENERAL, AND PRISON IN PARTICULAR, CONSTITUTE SUCH 'SITUATIONAL FACTORS.' IMPLICATIONS OF THE RESEARCH FOR INMATE PRERELEASE TREATMENT INCLUDE: (1) THE INMATE'S FUTURE TIME PERSPECTIVE SHOULD BE ENLARGED BY BRINGING MORE OF THE OUTER REALITY INTO HIS LIFE SPACE; (2) INMATES SHOULD BE MADE TO LOOK MORE REALISTICALLY TOWARD THEIR FUTURE; AND (3) FREQUENT AND PROLONGED LEAVES SHOULD BE GRANTED TO THE INMATE, THUS ENABLING HIM TO EXPERIENCE THE OUTSIDE REALITY WHILE STILL SERVING HIS SENTENCE. REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED. (DAS)