The 44 inmates were all males and ranged in age from 20 to 68 years. They were assessed using a semi-structured clinical interview, the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised, the Wechsler Individual Achievement Test, the Revised Beck Depression Inventory, the Personality Assessment Inventory, the Law School Admissions Test, the Mississippi Post-Conviction Relief Test, and the Dot Counting Test. Findings revealed inmates exhibited a pattern of broad deficits in requisite verbal intellectual ability, reading comprehension, legal aptitude, knowledge specific to post-conviction practice, and psychological well-being. These deficits raise grave concerns regarding the self-representation competency of Mississippi death row inmates, concerns that may also be applicable to other jurisdictions and contexts. 61 references, 3 notes, 3 tables, and 2 figures