THE CASE DESCRIBED IS REAL, ALTHOUGH ALL NAMES, PLACES, AND DATES HAVE BEEN CHANGED. THE READER IS GIVEN VISUAL FAMILIARITY WITH DOCUMENTS TYPICALLY ENCOUNTERED IN CRIMINAL CASES, AND AN ATTEMPT IS MADE TO PLACE THE READER IN THE SAME POSITION AS THE VARIOUS DECISIONMAKERS DISPERSED THROUGHOUT THE SYSTEM. EVERY DOCUMENT OF SIGNIFICANT LEGAL IMPORTANCE IS REPRODUCED; DOCUMENTS WERE GATHERED FROM THE PUBLIC FILES OF THE PEOPLE AND AGENCIES INVOLVED IN THIS STUDY, AS WELL AS FROM THE PRIVATE OR CONFIDENTIAL FILES OF THE PARTICIPANTS. THE ACTUAL STEPS DESCRIBED ARE: THE SENTENCING, INITIAL PRISON CLASSIFICATION, THE APPEAL, PRISON, AND PAROLE. AN INDEX IS INCLUDED. FOR A RELATED VOLUME, 'BIOGRAPHY OF A HOMICIDE - A CASE STUDY FROM ARREST THROUGH TRIAL,' SEE NCJ-44005. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED).