THE SPECIFIC AIMS OF THE STUDY WERE TO SYSTEMATICALLY EXAMINE THE SOCIALIZATION PROCESS AMONG FEMALE INMATES AS THEY WERE INDUCTED INTO THE PRISON SOCIAL SYSTEM AND THUS TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE EXISTING BODY OF KNOWLEDGE ABOUT WOMEN PRISONERS. THE METHODOLOGY OF THE STUDY INCLUDED PRELIMINARY RESEARCH TO DELINEATE THE FOCUS OF THE STUDY. THE STUDY POPULATON WAS LIMITED TO SENTENCED OFFENDERS ADMITTED TO THE PRISON OVER A PERIOD OF 6 MONTHS; THIS RESULTED IN A STUDY POPULATION OF 50 SENTENCED WOMEN, 39 OF WHOM WERE REDICIVISTS AND 11 WERE 'FIRST TIMERS'. DATA FOR THE STUDY WERE COLLECTED DURING EACH INMATE'S FIRST 30 DAYS OF CONFINEMENT USING 3 DATA COLLECTION METHODS (I.E., IMMATE RECORDS, INTERVIEWS, AND SYSTEMATIC OBSERVATION OF SMALL GROUP INTERACTION). THE BALES' 'INTERACTION PROCESS ANALYSIS' METHODS WAS USED TO COLLECT OBSERVATIONAL DATA. THE PROCESS OF INMATE SOCIALIZATION WAS STUDIED THROUGH INMATES' INITIAL ATTITUDES ABOUT CONFINEMENT, THEIR REACTIONS UPON ENTRY TO THE CENTER, AND THEIR SUBSEQUENT INSTITUTIONAL INVOLVEMENT. THE LAST INVOLVED PARTICIPATION IN WORK ASSIGNMENTS, RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES, MEDICAL CARE, PSYCHOLOGICAL AND EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS, RELATIONSHIPS AMONG INMATES, AND SUBJECTION TO STAFF DISCIPLINARY ACTION. INMATE SOCIAL INTERACTION WAS SPECIFICALLY STUDIED BY OBSERVING 36 SELECTED SUBJECTS IN SMALL GROUP PROBLEM-SOLVING ACTIVITIES. INITIATION AND PARTICIPATION BEHAVIORS WERE OBSERVED, FOCUSING ON 'PEACEMAKER' AND 'PEACEBREAKER' ROLES. PATTERNS OF INMATE SOLIDARITY, REINFORCED BY THE PRISON STRUCTURE'S NEGATIVE VIEW OF INMATE GROUP UNITY, WERE EVIDENCED IN ALL ASPECTS OF THE STUDY. ALTHOUGH RESPONDENTS TENDED TO DENY THE EXISTENCE OF AN INMATE STATUS HIERARCHY, 88 PERCENT MADE REFERENCE TO LEADERS OR 'BIG SHOTS.' THE FINDINGS SUGGEST THAT THE INMATE SUBCULTURE IN THE PRISON REINFORCES THE CONTINUATION OF A DEVIANT SUBCULTURE IN THE COMMUNITY, AND THE SUBCULTURE IN THE COMMUNITY REINFORCES THE NORMS MAINTAINED IN THE INMATE SOCIAL SYSTEM. APPENDIXES INCLUDE ORGANIZATIONAL CHARTS, FLOOR PLANS, PERSONAL RECORDS DATA SHEETS, INTERVIEW QUESTIONNAIRES, CHOICE SITUATIONS, RULES AND REGULATIONS, CLASS SCHEDULES, AND A DETENTION CENTER MEMO. APPROXIMATELY 100 REFERENCES ARE CITED.