IMPRISONMENT DEVELOPED AS A MORE HUMANE ALTERNATIVE TO SUCH CRUEL PENALTIES AS DEATH, EXILE, DEPORTATION, AND TORTURE. HOWEVER, THE EFFECTIVENESS OF CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTIONS IS NEUTRALIZED BY SEEMINGLY IRRECONCILABLE CONTRADICTIONS BETWEEN THEIR DISCIPLINARY AND CUSTODIAL OBJECTIVES AND THEIR EDUCATIONAL AND THERAPEUTIC FUNCTIONS. THE FUTURE OF PRISONS IS DOUBTFUL: SCANDINAVIA FAVORS PHASING THEM OUT AND OTHER COUNTRIES TALK OF USING THEM FOR ONLY DANGEROUSLY VIOLENT AND PSYCHOPATHIC CRIMINALS, OR AS SHORT-TERM TREATMENT CENTERS FOR OFFENDERS WITH INDETERMINATE SENTENCES UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF PERSONNEL TRAINED IN HOLISTIC AND OTHER PROGRESSIVE METHODS. THE EFFECTS OF A PRISON ENVIRONMENT ON INMATES HAVE BEEN SCIENTIFICALLY ANALYZED. OBSERVATION OF THE SIMILARITIES BETWEEN THE PHYSIOLOGICAL AND EMOTIONAL NEEDS OF HUMANS AND HIGHER ANIMALS AND THEIR REACTION TO CAPTIVITY REVEALED THE MOST BASIC NEED AS BEING SELF-PRESERVATION, WHICH CAN ONLY BE SATISFIED BY THE REASSURANCE OF FAMILIAR TERRITORY OVER WHICH ONE HAS COMPLETE CONTROL, AND WITHIN WHICH ONE CAN FIND PRIVACY AND SAFETY. THE STRANGENESS AND ARTIFICIALITY OF THE PRISON ENVIRONMENT, ITS CROWDING AND LACK OF PRIVACY, BREED FEAR AND EMOTIONAL DISTURBANCES. PRISON LIFE IS ALSO A BREEDING GROUND FOR CRIME BECAUSE OF ITS (1) UNCOMFORTABLE LIVING ACCOMMODATIONS; (2) LACKING OR INSUFFICIENT SANITATION; (3) POORLY-PREPARED AND NUTRITIONALLY-DEFICIENT FOOD; (4) SYSTEMATIC DESTRUCTION OF SELF-RESPECT, ASSERTIVENESS AND SELF-RELIANCE, LEADING TO HYPOCRISY AND DECEPTION; (5) FRUSTRATION OF THE NORMAL SEX DRIVE; (6) COMMUNAL LIFE ENCOURAGING CRIMINAL ASSOCIATIONS AND CONSPIRACIES; (7) ALIENATION FROM FAMILY AND OUTSIDE FRIENDS; AND (8) FORCED LOSS OF SOCIAL SKILLS AND INABILITY TO RELATE TO PEOPLE OTHER THAN PRISON STAFF AND FELLOW INMATES. CORRECTIONAL STAFF MEMBERS OFTEN COMPOUND THE PROBLEM BY PLAYING A REPRESSIVE, RATHER THAN EDUCATIONAL OR THERAPEUTIC ROLE. PRISONIZATION IS CHARACTERIZED AS TOTALLY COUNTERPRODUCTIVE TO THE PURPOSE OF THE INMATE'S READJUSTMENT TO SOCIETY. STATISTICS ARE GIVEN SHOWING A MUCH HIGHER INCIDENCE OF RECIDIVISM AMONG FORMER PRISON INMATES, COMPARED WITH OFFENDERS GUILTY OF THE SAME TYPE OF CRIMES WHO WERE NOT IMPRISONED (E.G., PROBATIONERS). THE STUDY CONCLUDES WITH A REVIEW OF THE PERTINENT LITERATURE AND DESCRIPTIVE LIST OF ONGOING PROJECTS (CHIEFLY IN THE U.S.) OF ALTERNATIVE FORMS OF TREATMENT FOR OFFENDERS. REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED. --IN SPANISH. (LGR)