BEGUN IN 1971, THE PROGRAM BECAME OPERATIONAL IN 1973. BESIDES DISCUSSING THE PURPOSES OF THE GROUP HOMES, THE REPORT ADDRESSES OTHER ISSUES WHICH AFFECT OPERATIONAL ASPECTS OF GROUP HOME PROGRAMMING, I.E., INTAKE/ADMISSION CRITERIA, TREATMENT APPROACH AND TECHNOLOGY, DISCHARGE CRITERIA, AND FOLLOWUP PROCESSES. THE PRIMARY AFFIRMATIVE ARGUMENT FOR A COMMUNITY-BASED APPROACH IS THAT INDIVIDUAL OFFENDERS SHOULD BE TREATED WITHIN THE COMMUNITIES THAT PRODUCED THE ATTITUDES WHICH PROMPTED ILLEGAL ACTION OR UNACCEPTABLE BEHAVIOR. THE COUNTERARGUMENT INSISTS THAT DESTRUCTIVE FORCES WITHIN THE COMMUNITY ARE SO PREVALENT THAT THEY WORK AGAINST EFFECTIVE TREATMENT. THEREFORE, THE INDIVIDUAL MUST BE REMOVED FROM THIS COMMUNITY AND PLACED IN A COMMUNITY PROGRAM WHERE THOSE NEGATIVE ELEMENTS ARE ABSENT BUT WHERE OPPORTUNITIES FOR COMMUNITY TREATMENT EXIST. A REVIEW OF THE GROUP HOME PROGRAM REVEALS THAT THE CONCEPT OF COMMUNITY ORIGIN HAS BEEN BROADENED FROM THAT OF A TOWN TO AN ENTIRE REGION. ADMISSION CRITERIA, TREATMENT APPROACHES, AND THE DISCHARGE PROCESS ARE REVIEWED. GENERAL RESULTS INDICATE THAT ALTHOUGH ALL GROUP HOMES USE A SCREENING PROCESS INVOLVING SOCIAL SUMMARY REVIEW AND INTERVIEWS WITH THE POTENTIAL RESIDENT AND THE SOCIAL WORKER, THERE ARE NO DEFINITIVE CRITERIA BY WHICH CLIENTS ARE ACCEPTED OTHER THAN PERSONAL OBSERVATION, EXPERIENCE, AND JUDGMENT. THUS, THE SELECTION/SCREENING PROCESS IS HIGHLY DISCRETIONARY AND NOT BASED UPON DIAGNOSTIC TECHNIQUE. TREATMENT APPROACHES AND THE DISCHARGE PROCESS IN ALL THE GROUP HOMES ARE VAGUELY DEFINED. DATA FOLLOWUP IS NOT SYSTEMATICALLY PERFORMED EVEN THOUGH ALL THE PROJECTS REALIZE THE NECESSITY FOR IT. ALTHOUGH COST ANALYSIS IS DIFFICULT, TOTAL APPROXIMATE COST FOR ALL SEVEN PROJECTS THROUGH MARCH 1977 IS $884,219. TABULAR DATA, REFERENCE NOTES, AND FIVE APPENDIXES ARE INCLUDED.