Although custody-oriented personnel have cornered administrative and line authority in most prisons and thus shape the climate and character of these institutions, conflict and antagonism involving custodial and treatment staffs remain, spawning morale problems, frustrations, and reduced proficiency in the performance of basic tasks. The conflict between these two orientations should be resolved by establishing a correctional goal that transcends the focus of each orientation. The proposed goal is the creation of a prison subculture of caring, where the staff takes the lead in cultivating caring relationships among inmates and between inmates and staff. Under such a mission, the staff will oriented toward helping inmates cope with prison life in a positive way. Reciprocal, coordinated interventions involving custodial and treatment staff make comprehensive and caring responses to inmates with adjustment problems a realistic correctional agenda. This goal has implications for staff training. Persons with custodial and treatment responsibilities should have joint training sessions as the correctional goal is interpreted and implementation skills are taught. Whereas training sessions for prison guards now consist primarily of teaching the mechanics of custodial routines while remaining detached from the inmates, training under the human services goal would consist of teaching human relations skills, including a discussion of ways to foster community and caring relationships between inmates. Thirteen references are provided.