Opinion polls indicate public ambivalence about the goals of corrections and its effectiveness in rehabilitating criminals or discouraging crime. Negative and ambivalent attitudes toward corrections and correctional facilities are in part attributable to a lack of public understanding of the problems facing contemporary corrections. These include the high cost of prison construction, the effects of overcrowding on inmate programs, and the effects of large caseloads on the effectiveness of parole. Another factor affecting public attitudes is the media's tendency to focus on the sensational and negative. Sensational stories on prison riots or bureaucratic snafus reinforce the public's negative image of corrections. In dealing with the media, there are concrete ways that corrections officials can respond to negative events, promote favorable stories, educate the public, and enhance public confidence. The first step is establishing an aggressive public affairs sections. Corrections agencies should make personal contact with media representatives, propose news stories about successes, and deal with the media as openly and honestly as possible. 2 photographs.