CONTEMPORARY EVIDENCE FROM A GROWING NUMBER OF RESEARCH PROJECTS HAS DRAMATICALLY SHIFTED OPINION AWAY FROM THE NOTION THAT IMPRISONMENT MAY BE USED FOR REHABILITATIVE PURPOSES. THEREFORE, FUTURE SPENDING FOR PRISON CONSTRUCTION AND IMPROVEMENTS WILL NOT FOCUS ON ADDITIONS SUCH AS RECREATIONAL FACILITIES. ALSO AFFECTING DESIGNS FOR CONTAINMENT OF PRISONERS IS THE INCREASED USE OF THE THERAPEUTIC COMMUNITY. PROBATION HAS BEEN EXTENDED, PAROLE AND SUSPENDED SENTENCES HAVE BEEN INCREASED, AND EXTENSIVE SCHEMES FOR SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY BY OFFENDERS HAVE BEEN LAUNCHED. DESPITE RECOGNITION OF THE FAILURE OF PRISONS TO REHABILITATE AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF THAT FACT THAT COMMUNITY-BASED ALTERNATIVES ARE MORE EFFECTIVE, PRISONS CONTINUE TO EXIST; IN BRITAIN, THEY ARE USED MORE EXTENSIVELY THAN BEFORE. PRISONS STILL SERVE AS A DETERRENT TO CRIME; HOWEVER, PRISON DESIGN SHOULD MORE ACCURATELY REFLECT THE SOCIAL AND SYMBOLIC PURPOSE OF THE PRISON, IT SHOULD NOT MERELY IMITATE OTHER SOCIAL INSTITUTIONS. IN ADDITION, PRISONS SERVE AS PROTECTION FOR THE PUBLIC FROM DANGEROUS MEMBERS OF SOCIETY; THIS JUSTIFICATION IS RARELY CHALLENGED. RETRIBUTION, ANOTHER RECOGNIZED FUNCTION OF IMPRISONMENT, IS INCREASINGLY NEGLECTED AS THE SYSTEM OF RELIGIOUS THOUGHT WHICH PRODUCED THE CONCEPT PLAYS A SMALLER PART IN PUBLIC AFFAIRS. THE FINAL PURPOSE OF IMPRISONMENT, A GENERAL SUPPORT FOR THE RULE OF LAW, IS IMPLICIT IN THE DETERRENCE AND PUBLIC PROTECTION ASPECTS. ALTHOUGH THE REHABILITATION GOAL HAS BEEN ABANDONED TO A LARGE EXTENT, PRISONERS SHOULD BE TREATED SO AS TO MINIMIZE THEIR DETERIORATION. PRISONS WILL CONTINUE TO BE A PART OF MODERN INDUSTRIALIZED SOCIETY, AND INDICATE ITS LEVEL OF CIVILIZATION. REFERENCES AND NOTES ARE INCLUDED WITH THE PAPER. (LWM)