FOLLOWING AN INTRODUCTORY DISCUSSION WHICH MAINLY CONSIDERS PUBLIC ATTITUDES AND PRISON CONDITIONS IN GREAT BRITAIN, ATTENTION IS DIRECTED TO PRISON CONDITIONS AND REFORMS IN THE U.S. THE MATERIAL TOUCHES ON TOPICS SUCH AS WOMEN IN AMERICAN PRISONS, THE FRUSTRATION OF SEXUAL DEPRIVATION AND THE RESULTING PERVASIVENESS OF PRISON HOMOSEXUALITY, AND THE ALTERNATIVE OF CONJUGAL VISITS. THE TREATMENT OF OFFENDERS IN SWEDISH PRISONS IS CONSIDERED NEXT, WITH EMPHASIS PLACED UPON SWEDEN'S LONGSTANDING POLICY OF REDUCING THE USE OF PRISON SENTENCES. A LARGE NUMBER OF SWEDISH OFFENDERS ARE GIVEN CONDITIONAL SENTENCES, PUT ON PROBATION, OR PRESCRIBED PSYCHIATRIC CARE. THE TEXT HIGHLIGHTS THE 'THIEVES PARLIAMENT' (A CONFERENCE ON PRISON REFORM ATTENDED BY EX-OFFENDERS, SOCIOLOGISTS, AND PRISON AUTHORITIES), KUMLA CENTRAL PRISON, MODERN FACTORY CONDITIONS IN PRISON, THE TREATMENT OF WOMEN OFFENDERS, AND UNSUPERVISED VISITS IN SWEDISH PRISONS. A REVIEW OF HOLLAND'S TREATMENT OF OFFENDERS ENCOMPASSES THE COUNTRY'S SENTENCING POLICY, THE TREATMENT OF DANGEROUS OFFENDERS, CONTACT WITH THE COMMUNITY, AND ATTITUDES OF PRISON OFFICERS AND POLICE. AN EXAMINATION OF FINLAND'S POLICIES COVERS LABOR COLONIES, LONG-TERM PRISONERS, AND TWO PRISONS, HAMEENLINNE AND NUMMENKYLA. MEXICO'S PROGRESSIVE POLICY OF ALLOWING CONJUGAL VISITS IS CONSIDERED, WITH DISCUSSION ALSO FOCUSING ON TWO PRISONS, STA MARTA ACATITLA PRISON AT IXTAPALAPA AND ALMOLYA DE JUAREZ AT TOLUCA. EXAMINATION OF THE GREEK PRISON SYSTEM HIGHLIGHTS PRISONERS' FREEDOM TO VISIT FAMILY. FINALLY, A LARGE SELECTION OF THE BOOK IS DEVOTED TO THE BRITISH PRISON SYSTEM. THE PRISON-BUILDING PROGRAM, PRISON STAFF, THE PRISONERS' WORKING DAY, EDUCATIONAL AND VOCATIONAL TRAINING, AND SECURITY ARE COVERED. ALSO DISCUSSED ARE PRISON MEDICAL FACILITIES, A PSYCHIATRIC PRISON, WOMEN AND PREGNANT WOMEN IN PRISON, FAMILY CONTACTS, THE ROLE OF VOLUNTARY ORGANIZATIONS, RESEARCH, AND THE CUSTODY OF DANGEROUS AND ABNORMAL OFFENDERS. OTHER TOPICS ARE FAMILY AND COMMUNITY CONTACTS, THE PARKHURST RIOT, A SCOTTISH PRISON EXPERIMENT, AND PRISONS IN NORTHERN IRELAND. NOTES AND REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED, AND A LIST OF ORGANIZATIONS RECEIVING GRANTS FOR HOSTELS IN GREAT BRITAIN IS APPENDED. (PRG)