It is argued that shame is a universal moral emotion, which is important for the guidance of human behavior. This by directing the individual towards law-abiding decisions that prevent participation in criminal behavior within a society. Despite these kind of beliefs, antisocial acts are widespread in the world. Furthermore, antisocial populations can be very heterogeneous. This paper will therefore focus on what kind of empirical literature exists on feelings of shame regarding prison inmates. Our literature review presents mixed findings. The result showed an association between shame and issues related to anger. Furthermore, it seems like thought-focus do not have an effect on shame. Risky behavior such as alcohol abuse and addiction was associated with shame. Various types of offences showed differences in levels of shame. Individuals who had committed sexual offences showed higher levels of shame than individuals who had committed violent and nonviolent offences. On the other contrary of previous assumptions about shame it might seem like guilt, another moral emotion, is a better predictor and perhaps a protective factor for subsequent antisocial behavior. Limitations and implications for clinical application and future research will also be discussed
