Referred to as the External Rehabilitation Ward, the program involved the use of several small houses in the vicinity of the penitentiary. Prisoners spent the last 5 to 9 months of their sentences in this half-open environment where the focus was on social skills, housing, work or education, finance, addiction, and social relations. Leave was granted on an individual basis. If a participant made good progress, he was allowed to visit his family and work or pursue job training outside the premises. On a voluntary basis, detainees were offered probation supervision after their stay in the program. An evaluation of the first 38 persons who participated in the program indicated some prisoners made progress in several problem areas while others did not. In terms of conduct and personality disorders, 7 participants showed a great deal of progress while 10 participants made limited advancements. About one-third of participants dropped out of the program prematurely, but half of those who completed the program according to plan left with moderately favorable prospects. Police records showed 60 percent of the total group committed a new crime within an average period of 10 months after release. Recommendations to improve the program concern limiting the selection of drug addicts and/or career criminals, improving program design, and making certain changes in program administration. 5 references and 6 tables