ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT HUMAN RIGHTS IS LIBERTY. FROM THE SOCIAL POINT OF VIEW, LIBERTY REPRESENTS THE ABSENCE OF UNDESIRED RESTRICTIVE FORCES GOVERNING THE LIFE OF THE COMMUNITY. FROM THE INDIVIDUAL PERSPECTIVE, LIBERTY IS A STATE WITHOUT EXTERNAL CONSTRAINTS THAT PERMITS ONE TO CHOOSE HIS OR HER BEHAVIOR ACCORDING TO LIMITS ESTABLISHED BY LAW. APART FROM THE RIGHT OF POLICE TO TO DETAIN SUSPECTS FOR A GIVEN PERIOD OF TIME, IMPRISONMENT IS ONE OF THE MOST FREQUENT WAYS IN WHICH INDIVIDUAL LIBERTY IS RESTRICTED. THE PRISON, AS IT IS ORGANIZED AND FUNCTIONS, HAS FAILED AS AN INSTITUTION. A NUMBER OF COMMON FEATURES CHARACTERIZE THE PRISON IN NUMEROUS BOOKS ABOUT PRISON CONDITIONS: ILL TREATMENT BY WORDS OR DEEDS, OVERCROWDING, LACK OF HYGIENIC CONDITIONS, INADEQUATE WORKING CONDITIONS AND MEDICAL SERVICES, UNSANITARY FOOD, DRUG CONSUMPTION, RESTRICTIONS ON VISITS AND MAIL, AND SEX ABUSE. THREE ASPECTS OF THE PRISON ARE MOST SIGNIFICANT WHEN CONSIDERING REFORM: (1) THE FREQUENCY WITH WHICH THE YOUNG AND OTHER AGE GROUPS ARE VIOLATED BY OTHER INMATES, THEREBY DESTROYING SELF-RESPECT; (2) CASES OF CRUEL AND UNNECESSARY DEATH OF INMATES SUFFERING FROM ACUTE DISEASES; AND (3) THE STATE OF ACUTE OR CHRONIC DEPRESSION THAT OFTEN LEADS TO SUICIDE OR HOMICIDE. REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. (DEP)