It is a well known fact in criminology that prisons are not inhabited by a cross-section of the normal population, but rather by a heavily biased sample in which people from the lower social classes and other marginalized groups are overrepresented. This study analyzed the relationship between welfare deficiencies, drug use, and symptom reporting among prison inmates, whether the relationship was influenced by inmates’ perceived self-efficacy, and how this information could be used to inform the discussion of challenges in prisoner reentry. A national survey of 360 male inmates was conducted in Norway where data were collected through structured personal interviews. Findings from the survey indicate that inmates’ situation is marked by serious deficiencies when it comes to important welfare dimensions such as education, employment, income, housing, etc. Findings also indicate that persons experiencing the heaviest symptoms of mental problems also suffer from a heavy load of poor living conditions, concluding that mental health problems are an important part of inmates’ generally disadvantaged living conditions. Lastly, the findings support previous findings indicating that self-efficacy plays an important independent role in the prediction of inmates’ mental distress and is thus a variable that warrants further analysis. References