IN THE SUMMER OF 1974, A QUESTIONNAIRE SURVEY OF THE BOARDS OF CORRECTIONS IN EACH STATE AND THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA WAS CONDUCTED. FORTY-FOUR OF THE INITIAL 51 BOARDS RESPONDED. SEVENTEEN INDICATED THAT THEY HAD A CENTRAL CLASSIFICATION, DIAGNOSTIC, OR RECEPTION CENTER FOR THE CLASSIFICATION AND PLACEMENT OF OFFENDERS. THE DIAGNOSTIC PHASE OF CORRECTIONAL CLASSIFICATION WAS NOTED AS BEING PERFORMED WITH INCREASING FREQUENCY BY MULTIDISCIPLINARY TEAMS OF PROFESSIONAL WORKERS RATHER THAN SINGLE CLINICIANS. A TEST BATTERY CONSISTING OF AT LEAST THREE BASIC TYPES WAS USED IN ALL STATES RESPONDING TO THE QUESTIONNAIRE, AND ALL OF THE STATES SURVEYED UTILIZED THE CLASSIFICATION CATEGORIES OF MINIMUM, MEDIUM, AND MAXIMUM CUSTODY WITH MANY VARIATIONS TO EACH OF THESE CATEGORIES. AN AVERAGE OF EIGHT HOURS OF CLASSIFICATION TIME WAS SPENT WITH AN OFFENDER DURING THE AVERAGE FOUR AND ONE-HALF WEEK CLASSIFICATION PROCESS AND 38 STATES INDICATED THAT THE INDIVIDUAL OFFENDER WAS INVOLVED TO SOME EXTENT IN HIS OWN CLASSIFICATION. OVER 50 PER CENT OF THE STATE BOARDS OF CORRECTIONS LISTED THEIR GOAL AS DETERMINING WHAT TREATMENT PROGRAMS WILL BEST MEET THE INMATE'S EDUCATIONAL, VOCATIONAL, AND SOCIAL NEEDS....ELW