The President's Committee on Mental Retardation has monitored legislation, policies, and procedures that have affected the relationship between citizens with mental retardation and the law since its establishment in 1966. The information and recommendations contained in this report are the result of the Presidential Forum on the Offender with Mental Retardation and the Criminal Justice System held September 14-16, 1989. The focus of the forum was to assess accomplishments and problems for mentally retarded persons in the human and legal rights areas. Recommendations by the conference participants pertain to mental retardation, law enforcement, the judiciary, and corrections. Conference participants recommend the establishment of a Federal priority to identify and implement ways of solivng the problems and meeting the needs of defendants with mental retardation and of victims with mental retardation. A critical component of this priority would be to ensure that program officials in various departments and independent agencies in the Federal Government would be made aware of these needs and the steps that should be undertaken within their agencies.