IT IS NOTED THAT AFTER WORLD WAR II, CALIFORNIA INTRODUCED DOZENS OF INNOVATIVE PAROLE PROJECTS, ADVANCED TREATMENT PROGRAMS, AND SPECIALIZED SERVICES. COUPLED WITH THESE EFFORTS WAS A STRONG EMPHASIS ON PROGRAM EVALUATION AND RESEARCH. AS AN EXAMPLE, THE FOUR PHASES OF THE CALIFORNIA SPECIAL INTENSIVE PAROLE UNIT (SIPU) PROGRAM ARE DESCRIBED. THE SIPU WAS AN EXPERIMENTAL/ CONTROL PROGRAM TO TEST THE EFFECTIVENESS OF REDUCED PAROLE CASELOADS. THESE STUDIES INDICATED THAT REDUCED CASELOADS MAY IMPROVE PAROLE PERFORMANCE. A SECOND STUDY, THE PAROLE WORK UNIT PROGRAM, IS ALSO DESCRIBED. THIS PROGRAM ALSO ATTEMPTED TO EXAMINE PAROLEE CHARACTERISTICS WITH RESPECT TO PAROLE SUPERSIVION AND WORKLOAD REQUIREMENTS. ONE OF THE MAJOR FINDINGS OF THIS STUDY WAS THAT PRISON RETURNS FOR TECHNICAL PAROLE VIOLATIONS CAN BE REDUCED WITHOUT RESULTING IN AN INCREASE IN SERIOUS CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR AS MEASURED BY NEW FELONY PRISON COMMITMENTS. THE AUTHOR CONCLUDES THAT IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF OFFENDERS IS MORE LIKELY TO BE OBTAINED THROUGH MODIFICATION OF THE PRESENT PAROLE SYSTEM ON THE BASIS OF RESEARCH THAN THROUGH MEASURES SUCH AS ABOLITION OF PAROLE. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)...DMC