IMPORTANT PROGRAM AND INDIVIDUAL CHARACTERISTICS WHICH MAY AFFECT OUTCOMES ARE ALSO CONSIDERED. IN ADDITION, EXTERNAL FACTORS WHICH MAY AFFECT PROGRAMS ARE DISCUSSED, SINCE ANY CROSS-PROGRAM ANALYSES MUST CONSIDER THE COMMUNITY CONTEXTS WITHIN WHICH THE VARIOUS PROGRAMS OPERATE. TO ASSESS THE ISSUES ADDRESSED, EMPLOYMENT AND RECIDIVISM WILL BE ANALYZED. SUCH OUTCOMES AS JOB STABILITY, JOB QUALITY, AND THE FREQUENCY AND SEVERITY OF CRIME WILL ALSO BE CONSIDERED. IN ADDITION, IT IS ESSENTIAL TO COMPARE EMPLOYMENT AND RECIDIVISM OUTCOMES FOR INDIVIDUAL CLIENTS AND COMPARISON GROUP MEMBERS, TO ASSESS WHETHER PERSONS WITH BETTER EMPLOYMENT OUTCOMES ALSO EXPERIENCE LESSENED RECIDIVISM. POSSIBLE COMPARISON GROUPS TO USE WHEN ASSESSING OUTCOMES PROGRAM CLIENTS ARE DESCRIBED; SPECIFIC ANALYSES OF PROGRAM CLIENTS VIS-A-VIS THE COMPARISON GROUP ARE DETAILED. SUCH COMPARATIVE OUTCOME ANALYSES ARE ESSENTIAL FOR ADEQUATE ASSESSMENT OF THE IMPORTANCE OF EMPLOYMENT SERVICES PROGRAMS. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)