PREVALENT ASSUMPTIONS ABOUT PRISON STRESS ARE REVIEWED, ALONG WITH LESS FREQUENTLY MENTIONED STRESS IMPACTS THAT ARE SAID TO AFFECT INMATES, PRISON PERSONNEL, AND ATTITUDES ABOUT PUNISHMENT. STUDIES ARE EXAMINED THAT HAVE DISCUSSED SALIENT DEPRIVATIONS SUFFERED BY PRISON INMATES AND THE DIFFERENT WAYS THESE DEPRIVATIONS PRODUCE STRESS IN DIFFERENT INDIVIDUALS OR POPULATIONS. STRESS PREDICTIONS ASSOCIATED WITH PRISON ARCHITECTURE ARE IDENTIFIED WITH EMPHASIS ON MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT THE IMPACT OF PRISON ARCHITECTURE ON INMATE STRESS. SIMILAR COMMENTS ARE MADE ABOUT THE FALLACY OF OBSERVATIONS THAT ASSUME THAT PRISON ENVIRONMENTS ARE UNCONDITIONALLY STRESSFUL. REMARKS ARE MADE ON THE EMOTIONAL ATMOSPHERE OF PRISONS, AND HOW INMATES TEND TO ADJUST TO AND CREATE THE SETTING THEY NEED. FINALLY, RESEARCH QUESTIONS ARE PROFFERED, WITH SUGGESTIONS ON HOW THE QUESTIONS COULD BE INVESTIGATED. SIXTEEN REFERENCES ARE SUPPLIED. (MHP)