THE COMMITTEE, WORKING UNDER THE AUSPICES OF THE COUNCIL OF EUROPE, PREPARED A QUESTIONNAIRE REQUESTING INFORMATION ON LONG-TERM PRISON SENTENCES AND ON DETENTION ORDERS, LONG-TERM PRISONER POPULATIONS, CONDITIONAL RELEASE PROVISIONS, AND ASPECTS OF THE TREATMENT OF LONG-TERM PRISONERS. THE QUESTIONNAIRE WAS DISSEMINATED IN WEST GERMANY, DENMARK, ITALY, SWEDEN, SWITZERLAND, AND THE UNITED KINGDOM -- ALL COUNTRIES REPRESENTED ON THE COMMITTEE. IN ADDITION, COMMITTEE MEMBERS VISITED PRISONS WHERE LONG-TERM SENTENCES ARE SERVED. THE PROGRESS REPORT SUMMARIZES FINDINGS REGARDING THE DEFINITION OF LONG-TERM IMPRISONMENT, THE STATISTICAL SIGNIFICANCE OF LONG-TERM IMPRISONMENT, THE EFFECTS OF EXTENDED PRISON TERMS ON THE MENTAL HEALTH OF INMATES, POSSIBILITIES OF COUNTERACTING ADVERSE EFFECTS OF LONG-TERM IMPRISONMENT, THE INFLUENCE OF THE CONCEPT OF GENERAL PREVENTION, AND THE SPECIAL PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH LIFE SENTENCES. IN ADDITION TO THE SURVEY FINDINGS, THE REPORT DESCRIBES THE RESULTS OF EMPIRICAL INVESTIGATIONS OF THE PSYCHIATRIC STATUS OF 79 PRISONERS SERVING LONG TERMS. PROPOSITIONS FOR COUNTERACTING THE ADVERSE EFFECTS OF LONG-TERM IMPRISONMENT CONCERN THE CONSTRUCTION AND ADMINISTRATION OF PRISONS, TREATMENT APPROACHES, COMMUNICATIONS WITH THE OUTSIDE, AND CONDITIONAL RELEASE. THE COMMITTEE CONCLUDES THAT CONSIDERATIONS OF GENERAL PREVENTION OF CRIME SHOULD NOT AFFECT THE WAY IN WHICH INDIVIDUAL SENTENCES ARE ENFORCED. A RESOLUTION ON THE TREATMENT OF LONG-TERM PRISONERS, ADOPTED BY THE COUNCIL'S COMMITTEE OF MINISTERS IN FEBRUARY 1976, IS PRESENTED. APPENDED MATERIALS INCLUDE SPECIAL REPORTS TO THE COMMITTEE ON THE INFLUENCE OF GENERAL PREVENTION, TREATMENT OF LONG-TERM PRISONERS FROM MEDICAL AND PSYCHIATRIC POINTS OF VIEW, PROBATION, TREATMENT METHODS AND THE ENFORCEMENT OF SENTENCES, SEPARATION OF LONG-TERM PRISONERS FROM OTHER CATEGORIES OF OFFENDERS, AND THE PSYCHOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF LONG-TERM IMPRISONMENT.