Assertiveness was assessed through experimenter evaluations of inmate behaviors during a role playing exercise and through analysis of the results of a self-reporting scale. A 10-item social fear scale was also administered to each participant. Analysis of the assertiveness measures indicated that the inmates were neither overly assertive nor underassertive, although scores tended to lean toward lack of assertiveness. A total of 89 percent of the inmates provided an underassertive response to at least one item on the rating scales, while only 35 percent displayed at least one overly assertive response. About 80 percent of all subjects demonstrated both types of behavior. Self-reported overassertiveness was associated with social fear. Overassertive behavior and underassertiveness were unrelated to expressed fears. Social skill training and correction of faulty social expressiveness is a recommended treatment strategy for offenders. Members of this group may have acquired inadequate or inappropriate social intercourse skills as a result of their backgrounds of impoverished socialization. Treatment should also emphasize appropriate response skill development and anxiety reduction. Footnotes, a copy of the self-reporting scale, and 22 references are given.