Current participants in the national Criminal Justice Drug Abuse Treatment Studies (CJ-DATS) showed a high level of need for services. The findings indicate that the CJ-DATS participant sample had a high level of drug use and previous treatment history, high involvement in crime and arrest and incarceration history, high levels of mental and physical health problems, and involvement in HIV-risk behaviors. The sample also revealed a low rate of being married or living as married, employment and having medical insurance, and high rates of illegal activities as a major source of support, indicating low social stability and resources. It is clear that the sample has a very high need for innovative services that CJ-DATS programs are being developed to address. The national CJ-DATS research program set out to investigate both innovative and traditional approaches to improve outcomes for people in prison or community corrections facilities who have drug problems and are in need of drug treatment. The purpose of this study was to examine profiles of a sample for CJ-DATS study participants to demonstrate that the target sample for CJ-DATS projects did indeed have the level and types of problems that require innovative programs to address. Tables, note, and references