THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO IDENTIFY VARIABLES THAT WOULD EXPLAIN THE ADJUSTMENT OF WIVES TO THEIR HUSBAND'S INCARCERATION. STRESS, STIGMA, INCOME, SOCIAL PARTICIPATION, AND DIVORCE PLANS WERE THE PRIMARY VARIABLES CONSIDERED. PRISONERS IN THE SAMPLE CAME FROM EITHER THE MAXIMUM SECURITY ILLINOIS STATE PENITENTIARY AT MENARD OR THE MINIMUM SECURITY VIENNA CORRECTIONAL CENTER. ALL HUSBANDS WERE INTERVIEWED INDIVIDUALLY IN PRISON. ONLY 59 OF THE WIVES AGREED TO PARTICIPATE, AND THEY WERE SUBSEQUENTLY INTERVIEWED IN THEIR HOMES. THE INTERVIEW SCHEDULE USED WAS BLACKWELL'S 1959 QUESTIONNAIRE. ADDED TO THIS WERE SCALES MEASURING STRESS AND STIGMA. IT WAS FOUND THAT ADJUSTMENT TO THE MARRIAGE BEFORE SEPARATION WAS POSITIVELY CORRELATED WITH ADJUSTMENT TO SEPARATION. DIVORCE PLANS REFLECT THE HISTORY OF THE MARRIAGE, RATHER THAN THE FACT OF INCARCERATION. NO SUPPORT WAS FOUND FOR HYPOTHESES INVOLVING STRESS, INCOME, SOCIAL PARTICIPATION, AND STIGMA. IT IS NOTED THAT MARRIED PRISONERS' WIVES MOST OFTEN ARE PRISONERS' PRIMARY SOURCE OF SOCIOEMOTIONAL SUPPORT AND PRISONERS' MAIN LINK WITH THE COMMUNITY. THE TOPICS OF PATHOGENIC FAMILIES, SOCIAL POLICY, AND HUMAN ADAPTATION SHOULD BE ADDRESSED IN FUTURE RESEARCH. TABLES AND A LIST OF REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED. (MLC)