DAVIES' PROGRESSIVE DEPRIVATION, OR J-CURVE, EXPLANATION OF POLITICAL VIOLENCE IS BASED ON STRUCTURAL AND ATTITUDINAL VARIABLES; THE THEORY STATES THAT POLITICAL VIOLENCE IS MOST LIKELY AFTER A PROLONGED PERIOD OF RISING EXPECTATIONS AND GRATIFICATIONS (THE PROSPERITY MODEL), FOLLOWED BY A SHORT PERIOD OF SHARP REVERSAL (THE MISERY MODEL) DURING WHICH THE GAP BETWEEN EXPECTATIONS AND GRATIFICATIONS QUICKLY WIDENS AND BECOMES INTOLERABLE. A COMPARATIVE HISTORIC STUDY OF INMATE BEHAVIOR IN WORLD WAR II JAPANESE-AMERICAN CAMPS, NAZI CONCENTRATION CAMPS, SOVIET LABOR CAMPS, AMERICAN MILITARY STOCKADES, AND AMERICAN PENITENTIARIES DEMONSTRATES THAT THE RELATIVE-DEPRIVATION MODEL IS APPLICABLE TO PRISON VIOLENCE. FINDINGS REVEAL THE FOLLOWING: (1) EXTREME DEPRIVATION RESULTS IN INMATE APATHY; (2) AS CONDITIONS IMPROVE, INMATE INTERACTION INCREASES AND REBELLION IS UNLIKELY; (3) IF CONDITIONS AND EXPECTATIONS RAPIDLY DECLINE, INMATE SOLIDARITY IN OPPOSITION TO THE AUTHORITIES INCREASES; (4) CERTAIN STRUCTURAL CATEGORIES OF INMATES ARE PRONE TO RELATIVE DEPRIVATION; AND (5) THERE IS A TEMPORAL RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN OUTSIDE EVENTS AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF INMATE MOVEMENTS; FOR EXAMPLE, DURING OUTSIDE WARTIME PROTESTS OR SEVERE SOCIAL CONFLICT. INMATE MOVEMENTS ARE RARE COMPARED TO ISOLATED, NONSERIAL PRISON UPRISINGS. THE J-CURVE MODEL OF RELATIVE DEPRIVATION IS USEFUL FOR EXPLAINING WHEN AND WHY INMATE MOVEMENTS OCCUR BY EXAMINING THE INTERACTION OF ATTITUDINAL, STRUCTURAL, AND TEMPORAL FACTORS. REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED.