The respondents could be generally characterized as middle-aged, white men who had little formal training in forensic psychiatry, who felt alienated from the outside psychiatric community, and who were board-certified in general psychiatry. These directors were usually involved in the direct treatment of patients and were concerned about the lack of aftercare services. The respondents reported a sense of patient futility in the institutional forensic setting. The authors recommend that AAPL take a more active role in encouraging and representing this group of psychiatrists. 3 tables and 15 references