NEW PRISON CONSTRUCTION HAS NOT KEPT APACE WITH RISING CRIME RATES AND PUBLIC PRESSURE FOR HARSHER PUNISHMENT. NEARLY HALF OF THE COUNTRY'S MAXIMUM-SECURITY PRISONS ARE OVER 50 YEARS OLD. MANY WERE BUILT NEARLY A CENTURY AGO. INMATE POPULATIONS OF STATE AND FEDERAL PRISONS HAVE INCREASED BY 44 PERCENT IN 4 YEARS. COUNTY JAILS ALSO SUFFER FROM OVERCROWDING AS INMATES AWAIT BED SPACE IN PRISONS. LEGISLATORS HAVE RESPONDED TO POPULAR DEMANDS BY INCREASING THE LENGTH OF SENTENCES BUT HAVE NOT PROVIDED THE FUNDS NEEDED TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL PRISON SPACE. THE CAPACITY OF EXISTING PRISONS IS FURTHER REDUCED BY INMATE VANDALISM AND OBSOLETE EQUIPMENT. OVERCROWDING AGGRAVATES EXISTING PROBLEMS IN PRISONS, CREATING STRESS, WHICH IN TURN LEADS TO AGGRESSION. CORRECTIONS OFFICIALS REPORT PLANS TO INCREASE PRISON CAPACITY TO 325,00 BY 1982. HOWEVER, UNLESS TRENDS TOWARD LONGER PRISON TERMS ARE REVERSED OR THE CRIME RATE DECLINES, THERE STILL COULD BE A SHORTAGE OF 65,000 BEDS IN 1982. ILLUSTRATIONS OF THE PROBLEMS RESULTING FROM OVERCROWDING IN PRISONS IN SEVERAL STATES ARE PRESENTED. A WOMEN'S PRISON IN CALIFORNIA IS DESCRIBED, AS IS A MODEL FEDERAL FACILITY THAT STANDS IN CONTRAST TO TRADITIONAL MAXIMUM-SECURITY PRISONS. (LKM)