THE GUIDELINES ARE PART OF A BROADER PLANNING EFFORT UNDERTAKEN IN ANTICIPATION OF THE ESTABLISHMENT OF NATIONAL CRIMINAL JUSTICE STANDARDS FOR CANADA. DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS WERE ASSIGNED RESPONSIBILITY FOR DESIGNING STANDARD-SETTING STRATEGIES FOR DIFFERENT COMPONENTS OF THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM, WITH EACH DESIGN EXPECTED TO SET FORTH GENERAL PRINCIPLES, SCOPE, STANDARD-SETTING PROCESSES, SOURCES OF INFORMATION AND EXPERIENCE, AND PHRASING FOR TENTATIVE STANDARDS. THE DESIGN FOR ADULT CORRECTIONS REVIEWS EXISTING SOURCES OF INFORMATION AND EXPLORES DEFINITIONS OF 'STANDARDS.' STANDARD-SETTING STRATEGIES USED BY THE AMERICAN COMMISSION ON ACCREDITATION FOR CORRECTIONS AND BY THE AMERICAN BAR ASSOCIATION ARE REVIEWED. A THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK FOR STANDARDS DEVELOPMENT IN ADULT CORRECTIONS IS SUGGESTED, WITH REFERENCE TO THE AIMS OF CORRECTIONS IN CANADA. A LIST OF REFERENCES IS INCLUDED. IN ENGLISH AND FRENCH.