THE 21 ASIANS IN 6 ENGLISH PENAL INSTITUTIONS AT THE TIME OF THIS STUDY IN THE SUMMER OF 1976 WERE INTERVIEWED AND THEIR BACKGROUNDS, PRISON EXPERIENCES, GENERAL OUTLOOK, AND EMOTIONAL STATES WERE DETERMINED. OF THE 21, 2 COULD SPEAK NO ENGLISH, 8 SPOKE IT POORLY, AND THE 11 WHO APPARENTLY SPOKE FLUENT ENGLISH HAD DIFFICULTY UNDERSTANDING SOME OF THE QUESTIONS ASKED THEM. THE MOST COMMON OFFENSE WAS POSSESSION OR IMPORTATION OF DRUGS, WITH THEFT BEING SECOND. IN GENERAL, COMPARED WITH OTHER OFFENDERS FROM OVERSEAS, WHO USUALLY ADMITTED THEIR OFFENSES AND DISCUSSED THEM IN DETAIL, THE ASIANS APPEARED ASHAMED OF THEIR OFFENSES AND IMPRISONMENT, REFLECTING THEIR ROOTS IN CULTURES WHERE CONVICTION FOR A CRIME IS A FAMILY DISGRACE. THE ASIANS INTERVIEWED GENERALLY SHOWED FEELINGS OF LONELINESS, REJECTION, AND DEPRIVATION, EXACERBATED BY THEIR INABILITY TO EXPRESS ADEQUATELY THEIR PENT-UP ANGER AND FRUSTRATION. ASIANS WERE ANGRY WITH PRISON STAFF BECAUSE OF DEFECTS IN THE SYSTEM OF DEPORTATION, AND THE STAFF WAS BLAMED FOR FAILURE TO GAIN HELP FROM APPROPRIATE EMBASSIES, ALONG WITH THE LACK OF READING OR RECREATIONAL MATERIAL IN THEIR OWN LANGUAGES. RECOMMENDATIONS INCLUDE (1) EARLY CONTACT BY THE PROBATION SERVICE, (2) COMMUNICATION WITH AND HELP FOR FAMILIES, (3) CORRECTIONAL STAFF TRAINING FOR UNDERSTANDING AND COMMUNICATING WITH ASIAN PRISONERS, (4) PROVISION OF READING AND RECREATIONAL MATERIAL FOR ASIAN PRISONERS, (5) PROVISION OF ASIAN VOLUNTEERS TO PENAL FACILITIES, (6) REDUCTION IN DELAYS RELATED TO DEPORTATION, (7) ENCOURAGEMENT OF GOVERNMENT AND VOLUNTEER ORGANIZATIONS DEALING WITH THE UNIQUE PROBLEMS OF IMMIGRANT OFFENDERS, (8) AVAILABILITY OF INTERPRETERS THROUGHOUT THE LEGAL PROCESS FOR NONENGLISH-SPEAKING OFFENDERS, (9) PROVISION OF INFORMATION AND PHONE NUMBERS FOR EMBASSIES AND HIGH COMMISSIONS, AND (10) ENCOURAGEMENT OF STUDENTS FROM DIFFERENT CULTURES STUDYING IN ENGLAND TO VISIT AND WRITE INMATES FROM THE SAME CULTURE. (RCB)