DISSOCIATION REFERS TO THE PRACTICE OF REMOVING AN INMATE FROM THE GENERAL INMATE POPULATION IN ORDER TO PROTECT THE ISOLATED INMATE FROM HARASSMENT BY OTHER INMATES, TO PUNISH AN INMATE FOR FLAGRANT DISCIPLINARY OFFENSES, OR TO ENSURE THE ORDERLY OPERATION OF THE INSTITUTION. TO EXPLORE THE USEFULNESS OF THE PRACTICE AND TO DETERMINE WHETHER IT IS HUMANE, A STUDY GROUP INTERVIEWED INMATES AND STAFF AND OBSERVED INSTITUTIONAL ROUTINES AND LIVING CONDITIONS IN MAXIMUM AND MEDIUM SECURITY INSTITUTIONS THROUGH CANADA. A MAJOR FINDING WAS THE FAILURE OF INSTITUTIONS TO MAINTAIN ADEQUATE RECORDS ON DISSOCIATED INMATES. THERE WERE NO CLEAR DISTINCTIONS BETWEEN THE VARIOUS CATEGORIES OF INMATES HOUSED IN DISSOCIATION UNITS; I.W., INMATES PLACED IN DISSOCIATION FOR OTHER THAN PUNITIVE REASONS TENDED TO TREATED AS THOUGH THEY WERE BEING PUNISHED. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR CHANGING THE REGULATIONS GOVERNING THE CUSTODY AND TREATMENT OF DISSOCIATED INMATES AND THE PROCESS BY WHICH THEY ARE DISSOCIATED ARE PRESENTED. OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS RELATE TO TRAINING FOR STAFF MEMBERS IN DISSOCIATION UNITS AND THE PHILOSOPHY AND ATTITUDES OF PRISON ADMINISTRATORS AND STAFF MEMBERS. DETAILS OF THE STUDY FINDINGS, SUPPORTING DATA, AND REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. (LKM)