The Commission on Alternative Utilization of Military Facilities and the Department of Defense were requested by presidential order to take action on this issue. The lack of success occurred because the Commission did not review all properties that might have been suitable, and procedural weaknesses affected its review process. Omissions of certain language in both the enabling legislation and the Executive Order were partly responsible; the legislation should explicitly include the Federal government's need for higher security prisons and the needs of State and local governments for additional prison space. Appended tables, law, executive order, and form