This paper explores the social relationships of correctional workers and, through a sampling of correctional workers in California, examines the influence of this social system on their behavior. Whether this same kind of social system exists in other jurisdictions remains to be seen. The article reports some of the effects of the system on the off-job behavior of correctional workers. The social system exerts a powerful influence on job behavior itself, on the forms and content of knowledge with which correctional workers deal, and quite probably on recidi vism. The study has implications for the analysis of organiza tions, for formulation of correctional theory, and for review of administrative practice.