IT IS HOPED THAT THE MORATORIUM WILL RESULT IN DECREASED DEPENDENCE ON IMPRISONMENT AS AN IMPORTANT COMPONENT OF THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE PROCESS. FOR MOST PRISONERS, THE TENDENCY TO RETURN TO PRISON, ONCE THEY HAVE SERVED A SENTENCE, IS NOT AFFECTED BY THE LENGTH OF THE SENTENCE EXCEPT THAT INSTITUTIONALIZATION DECREASES ONE'S ABILITY TO ADJUST IN THE FREE COMMUNITY. THE USE OF PUNITIVE SEGREGATION UNITS IN PRISONS ALSO HAS LITTLE OR NO EFFECT ON RETURN RATES. IN FACT, DESTRUCTION OF ONE MASSACHUSETTS PRISON AND THE SUBSEQUENT EMPHASIS ON PROGRAMS TO REINTEGRATE INMATES INTO THE COMMUNITY HAD A RESULT OF REDUCING THE RATE OF RETURN FOR THOSE INMATES. AS A RESULT OF THIS EXPERIENCE AND OTHER STUDIES, THE ABOLITION OF PRISONS IN FAVOR OF COMMUNITY TREATMENT IS RECOMMENDED, AND A MORATORIUM ON CONSTRUCTION IS CONSIDERED TO BE A STEP IN THIS DIRECTION. THE OLD POLICY OF IMPRISONMENT MUST BE REPLACED WITH SOLID PROGRAMS, AND AN HONEST ASSAULT ON THE SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC INJUSTICE THAT GENERATES CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR IS NECESSARY TO PREVENT CRIME. THE IDEA OF A MORATORIUM ON PRISON CONSTRUCTION HAS ENCOUNTERED A GREAT DEAL OF POLITICAL OPPOSITION, PERHAPS ITS GREATEST OBSTACLE. MORATORIUM PROGRAMS, IN ORDER TO GAIN PUBLIC SUPPORT, MUST EDUCATE TAXPAYERS IN THE COSTS TO THEM OF INCARCERATION OF OFFENDERS; THEY SHOULD ALSO TRY TO ATTRACT STRONG BLACK LEADERSHIP TO DEVELOP MEANINGFUL ALTERNATIVE PROGRAMS IN BLACK COMMUNITIES. REACTIONS TO THE PROPOSED PROGRAM BY OTHER CRIMINAL JUSTICE EXPERTS ARE INCLUDED, AND REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED. (VA)