USING QUALITATIVE METHODOLOGY, DATA WERE ANALYZED THAT WERE COLLECTED FROM INDEPTH INTERVIEWS WITH 31 PERSONS WHO HAVE HAD SOMEWHAT LIMITED CONTACT WITH THE FRENCH CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM AROUND PARIS. OF THESE 31, 3 WERE DETAINED FOR POLITICAL INFRACTIONS, 11 WERE JUVENILE DELINQUENTS, AND 17 WERE DETAINED FOR COMMON-LAW INFRACTIONS. THE RESULTS SHOWED THAT EXPERIENCE WITH THE PENAL SYSTEM INFLUENCES THE PERSON'S OUTLOOK EMOTIONALLY. ONE OF THE MAIN IDEAS SEEMED TO BE THAT THE INTERVENTION OF THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM CAUSED IRREPARABLE EFFECTS ON THE PERSON'S LIFE. MOST FELT THAT THE PENAL SYSTEM'S NORMAL FUNCTION IS TO EXCLUDE THE INDIVIDUAL FROM ORDINARY SOCIAL LIFE, AND THAT ONCE A PERSON COMES INTO CONTACT WITH THE SYSTEM, HE WILL BE STIGMATIZED. THUS, THE IMAGE OF THE PENAL SYSTEM WAS ACCOMPANIED BY A FEELING OF IRREVERSIBILITY. THE IMAGE OF THE DELINQUENT AND DELINQUENCY WERE PROFOUNDLY INFLUENCED BY THIS REPRESENTATION OF THE PENAL SYSTEM WHICH WAS REINFORCED BY MANICHAEAN ATTITUDES. TWO OTHER ATTITUDES WERE FOUND TO BE COMMON: (1) A RITUALIST CONFORMISM MARKED BY A RETREATIST POSITION, AND (2) A NONCONFORMISM DISTINGUISHED MORE BY A DESIRE TO REVOLT RATHER THAN TO REFORM. IN BOTH CASES, MONEY OCCUPIED A LEADING ROLE AS A CAUSAL FACTOR FOR SOCIETAL CONDITIONS, AND FOR SOCIAL ORGANIZATION; MONEY IS ALSO SEEN AS THE LEADING INTERFACE BETWEEN SOCIETY AND THE PENAL SYSTEM. CHARTS AND A BIBLIOGRAPHY ARE INCLUDED. --IN FRENCH. (INL)