CONJUGAL VISITS AND COED PRISON PROGRAMS APPEAR TO NORMALIZE PRISONS, HELP ENSURE FAMILY STABILITY, AND REDUCE HOMOSEXUAL ENCOUNTERS IN PRISON. REHABILITATION PRACTICES AND CONJUGAL VISITING IN PRISONS IN MEXICO, WHEN ANALYZED ACCORDING TO DATA GATHERED FROM SEVEN PRISONS THROUGH INTERVIEWS WITH INMATES, WIVES OF INMATES, AND ADMINISTRATORS PROVED TO BE A CONTROVERSIAL ACTIVITY THAT HAS NOT RECEIVED MUCH STUDY. PRISONS ARE DESCRIBED AS AN ADVERSE AND ABNORMAL STATE WHICH AFFECTS A PERSON'S LIFE GOALS, DEFENSE SYSTEMS, SELF-ESTEEM AND SENSE OF SECURITY. THESE DAMAGES MAY BE AVOIDED THROUGH CONJUGAL VISITS, COED PRISONS, AND ALLOWING YOUNG CHILDREN TO REMAIN WITH THEIR MOTHERS. THE MERITS OF SUCH AN APPROACH ARE DISCUSSED TO INCLUDE A GREATER WILLINGNESS ON THE PART OF INMATES TO WORK AT PENITENTIARY JOBS, BETTER INMATE-STAFF COOPERATION, LESSENED CHANCE OF PRISONIZATION, AND FEWER FAMILY BREAKUPS. THE DISCUSSION OF CONDITIONS AND PRISON PROGRAMS IN MEXICO, WRITTEN AS A CONTRAST TO UNITED STATES PRISONS, FEATURES THE MEXICAN HETEROSEXUAL PRISON AS A WORLD THAT ALLOWS WOMEN TO BE WITH CHILDREN, REGULAR CONJUGAL VISITING RIGHTS, LACK OF SIGNIFICANT HOMOSEXUAL PROBLEMS, MAINTENANCE OF WAGE-EARNER STATUS FOR INMATES WHO ARE ABLE TO WORK AND EARN MONEY INSIDE PRISON, AND ADEQUATE STAFF-INMATE RELATIONS. DISCUSSION QUESTIONS AND NOTES ARE INCLUDED. (RFC)