Despite theoretical preference for small facilities, most prisons (especially in North America) are large due to huge numbers of persons being incarcerated. Studies have attempted to link prison size with institutional inmate violence and with recidivism. A 1973 study of the North Carolina Department of Corrections noted the likelihood of inmate disturbances and higher numbers of homicides in large prisons, but the researchers failed to assess homicide rates in relation to the institution's total inmate population and did not consider contributing factors other than facility size. English studies have produced detailed statistics on their prison populations, incidence of institutional assault and battery, and postrelease recidivism. Their results show that rates of assault and other infractions are more frequent in smaller correctional institutions. English recidivism data of the 1960's does indicate positive correlation with prison overcrowding, but not with prison size alone. These findings suggest the need for policy changes to reduce institutional overcrowding. Photographs and tabular data are provided.