THIS BOOK IS AN OUTGROWTH OF TWO SEPARATE CONFERENCES (1974 AND 1975) SPONSORED BY THE UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA THROUGH ITS PSYCHOLOGY CENTER OF CORRECTIONAL PSYCHOLOGY. THE CONTRIBUTORS, REPRESENTING A CROSS SECTION OF FIELDS IN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM, RANGE FROM THOSE WHO ARE AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE SYSTEM TO THOSE WHO PLEAD FOR CHANGE, TO GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS WHO SEE THE INEQUITIES IN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM APPLIED TO BLACKS, TO BEHAVIORAL SCIENTISTS WHO HAVE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR CHANGE. ARTICLES SPAN FOUR MAJOR AREAS. IN AN OVERVIEW, CHAPTERS TRACE THE HISTORICAL RELATIONSHIP OF BLACKS AND THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM, OFFER A CONTEMPORARY VIEW OF BLACKS AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE, AND REVIEW THE PORTRAYAL OF THE BLACK OFFENDER. ARTICLES FOCUSING ON EQUALITY AND INEQUALITY INCLUDE: DISCUSSION ON HOW DISCRETIONARY JUSTICE HAS RESULTED IN THE DISCRIMINATION AND OPPRESSION OF BLACKS; HOW THE EVILS INHERENT IN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM CAN BE ATTRIBUTED TO CLASS, AND NOT TO RACE; AND HOW IMPRISONMENT HAS BEEN USED TO PERPETUATE THE POWER OF THE ELITE OVER OTHER SEGMENTS IN AMERICAN SOCIETY. CHAPTERS CONCENTRATING ON BLACK CRIME EXAMINE THE EFFECTS OF DEPRIVATION AND THE BLACK OFFENDER, AND CENTER ON CONCERNS OF WOMEN, SUCH AS RAPE AND THE BLACK FEMALE OFFENDER. THE FINAL CHAPTERS FOCUS ON ACTIONS AND ANSWERS IN CRIME PREVENTION AND CORRECTIONS AND DEAL WITH SUCH SUBJECTS AS PRISON EDUCATION, THE ROLE OF HIGHER EDUCATION IN AMELIORATING THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM, THE IMPROVEMENTS OF POLICE RELATIONS IN THE BLACK COMMUNITY THROUGH COMMUNITY PROGRAMS, AND THE SUBTLETIES OF RACISM ENCOUNTERED IN THE PRISON CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM (E.G., TESTING, DECISIONMAKING, THERAPEUTIC REFERRALS). THE EDITORS CONCLUDE THAT DESPITE PROMISING DEVELOPMENTS, SUCH AS THE INCREASING NUMBER OF BLACKS INVOLVED IN THE ORGANIZATION AND LEADERSHIP OF THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM, THE MANY EXISTING INCONSISTENCIES AND INJUSTICES TOWARDS BLACKS IN THE SYSTEM MUST STILL BE ADDRESSED. MOST CHAPTERS INCLUDE REFERENCES, AND THE BOOK IS INDEXED.