THE PRESIDENT'S COMMISSION ON LAW ENFORCEMENT AND THE ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE HAS NOTED THE EXPANDING USAGE OF WORK RELEASE AS A CORRECTIONAL STRATEGY. THIS VOLUME IS A SYNTHESIS OF THE AVAILABLE PLANNING AND OPERATIONAL EXPERTISE IN THE FIELD OF WORK RELEASE AND PRESENTS THE CONCEPTS IN TERMS OF BROAD PRINCIPLES, THEIR RATIONALES AND POTENTIAL APPLICATION. IT PROVIDES GUIDELINES AND A SUBSTANTIAL STARTING POINT FOR FUTURE WORK RELEASE PLANNING. CURRENT TRENDS INDICATE THAT WORK RELEASE IS EXPANDING RAPIDLY AND WILL BE INCREASINGLY COMMUNITYBASED. FOR THAT REASON, THIS BOOK IS CONCERNED PRIMARILY WITH CONCEPTS OF FORMULATION AND IMPLEMENTATION WHICH WILL AID CRIMINAL JUSTICE PLANNERS AND ADMINISTRATORS AT THE LOCAL AND COUNTY LEVELS. THE HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT AND THE EXTENT OF CURRENT USAGE OF WORK RELEASE ARE DESCRIBED IN PART 1 AS AN INTRODUCTION TO LATER MATERIAL WHICH DISCUSSES THE OBJECTIVES, AND COST-EFFECTIVENESS OF WORK RELEASE PROGRAMS. A STEP-BY-STEP METHODOLOGY FOR PLANNING A COUNTY WORK RELEASE PROGRAM IS THEN DEVELOPED AND INCLUDES DEFINING NEEDS, FORMING A PLANNING COMMITTEE, FORMULATING OBJECTIVES, EMPLOYING TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE, STRUCTURING A VIABLE ORGANIZATION, BUDGETING, AND STEPS IN IMPLEMENTING THE PROGRAM. PART II COVERS A FULL RANGE OF OPERATIONAL CONSIDERATIONS FROM STAFFING THE PROGRAM AND SELECTING PARTICIPANTS TO MAINTAINING PROGRAM CONTROL AND ACCOUNTABILITY AND CONDUCTING EVALUATIONS. A GLOSSARY OF WORK RELEASE TERMS IS INCLUDED, TOGETHER WITH APPENDICES CONTAINING SAMPLE FORMS AND CHECKLISTS USED IN ADMINISTERING A PROGRAM. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED) (SNI ABSTRACT)