The contradiction arises largely because insufficient account has been taken of the reality of prison life and the constraints on prison management in formulating theories of imprisonment, namely, the size of the prison population, limited resources to meet the increased demands, accountability, and the nature of the prison populations. The contradiction results in misallocation of resources and frustration for staff. Prison administrators need to adopt a 'new pragmatism,' emphasizing the need for the efficient management of resources. Yet, better management is not sufficient. What is needed is a moral framework which eschews grand social designs and emphasizes the civilized treatment of prisoners as individuals. The current separation between penal theory and practice is dangerous: the failure to reach unachievable aims results in cynicism and can lead to a moral vacuum in which daily managerial objectives become paramount. The penal administrator requires a theory of prisons which he/she can recognize as consistent with the real world in which he/she lives and works.