PROMIS, A LEAA EXEMPLARY PROJECT, HAS BEEN DESIGNED TO ALLEVIATE SCREENING-RELATED PRESSURES FROM THREE MAJOR SOURCES: WITHIN THE PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE; WITHIN OTHER LOCAL CRIMINAL JUSTICE AGENCIES; AND OUTSIDE THE LOCAL CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM. THE UNDERLYING REASON FOR THE IMPACT OF PROMIS ON SCREENING IS THAT THE PROCESS OF PREPARING FOR THE COMPUTER-BASED SYSTEM NECESSARILY INVOLVES A DISCIPLINED ANALYSIS OF THE STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES OF EXISTING OFFICE PROCEDURES. THE VALUE OF THIS OPERATIONAL AND INFORMATIONAL ANALYSIS IS ILLUSTRATED FROM THE VANTAGE POINTS OF THOSE INVOLVED IN CASE SCREENING, INCLUDING THE CHIEF PROSECUTOR AND THE SCREENING PROSECUTOR. THE INFORMATION ANALYSIS PERTAINS TO THE TYPE OF DATA NEEDED FOR SCREENING AND SUBSEQUENT DECISIONS, THE SOURCES OF THE INFORMATION, AND THE MEANS BY WHICH THE DATA ARE RECORDED. PROMIS-BASED SCREENING PROCEDURES USED BY THE PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE IN WASHINGTON, D.C., ARE CITED AS AN ILLUSTRATION OF THE BENEFITS THAT CAN BE ACHIEVED THROUGH COMPUTER-BASED INFORMATION SYSTEMS. FOR OTHER ISSUES IN THIS SERIES, SEE NCJ 44750 AND 44752-44770.