COMMENTS IN THIS PAPER REFLECT OBSERVATIONS AND CONCLUSIONS DRAWN BY THE AUTHOR FROM TWO PROJECTS CONDUCTED AT CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTIONS. THE CONFLICTING FUNCTIONS OF CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTIONS, NOTABLY CUSTODY, TREATMENT, DETERRENCE, AND RETRIBUTION, TOGETHER WITH THE VARYING VIEWS REGARDING THE CAUSES OF CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR, ARE CONSIDERED TO COMPLICATE THE DEVELOPMENT OF GRIEVANCE PROCEDURES. THE HIGH DEGREES OF CENTRALIZATION, FORMALIZATION, AND STRATIFICATION CHARACTERISTICS OF CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTIONS ARE BELIEVED TO HAMPER THE FLEXIBILITY AND OPENNESS REQUIRED FOR A GRIEVANCE PROCESS. RIGID AND OFTEN CONFLICTING SOCIAL DYNAMICS OPERATING AMONG INMATES AND BETWEEN INMATES AND THE PRISON STAFF ARE ALSO PERCEIVED TO MAKE IT DIFFICULT TO ESTABLISH AN ACCEPTABLE GRIEVANCE MECHANISM. CITING CHARACTERISTICS OF CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTIONS THAT WOULD TEND TO UNDERMINE A GRIEVANCE SYSTEM IS NOT INTENDED TO DISCOURAGE THE CREATION OF SUCH SYSTEMS, BUT RATHER TO HELP THE PLANNERS OF GRIEVANCE PROCESSES TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT ALL RELEVANT FACTORS. (RCB)