Correctional administrators may increase their use of CRC's because they provide higher levels of supervision and specialized services than other forms of nonresidential community supervision. CRC's serve a variety of offenders, including pretrial defendants, probationers and parolees, inmates on periodic imprisonment sentences, inmates nearing release from prison, and offenders requiring specialized treatment. CRC's provide additional sentencing options for the courts, protect public safety, provide individualized and intensive services aimed at reducing recidivism, and are cost-effective. According to a 1991 survey conducted by the International Association of Residential and Community Alternatives, residential programs commonly combine work release and drug treatment centers and frequently provide counseling, drug testing, and job development. Surveyed programs reported a 71-percent successful completion rate and diverted more than 16,000 offenders from incarceration, for an estimated savings of $7.4 million to taxpayers. Profiles of three innovative residential programs in California, Ohio, and Missouri indicate commonalities: 24- hour residential monitoring; substance abuse testing and treatment; training in job, social, and coping skills; and educational assistance. 6 references