THE STUDY ANALYZES A SERIES OF DECISIONS ON SUCH ISSUES AS ALCOHOLISM AND CRIME, JUVENILE DELINQUENCY PREVENTION, PAROLE AND RECIDIVISM, PUNISHMENT FOR THIEVES, AND THE PLACE OF ANALOGY IN SOVIET CRIMINAL LAW. THE AUTHOR ARGUES THAT EVEN BEFORE 1953 SOVIET CRIMINAL LAW SCHOLARS SOMETIMES PLAYED A MEANINGFUL PART IN POLICYMAKING; THAT AFTER STALIN'S DEATH THEIR PARTICIPATION EXPANDED; AND THAT BY THE BREZHNEV YEARS IT BECAME A REGULAR FEATURE OF SOVIET DECISIONS ABOUT CRIME AND JUSTICE. THIS FACT WAS NOT READILY APPARENT TO WESTERN OBSERVERS BECAUSE MUCH OF THAT PARTICIPATION OCCURRED OUTSIDE THE PUBLIC VIEW, AS SCHOLARS SUPPLIED TOP OFFICIALS WITH REPORTS AND SERVED ON ADVISORY COMMISSIONS. THE SCHOLARS' ACTIVITY IN POLICYMAKING WAS SIGNIFICANT, AS SOVIET CRIMINOLOGISTS NOT ONLY TOOK STANDS ON THE ISSUES, BUT ALSO EXERTED INFLUENCE UPON THE DECISIONS AND THE RESULTING POLICIES. NOTES ON THE TEXT ARE PROVIDED, ALONG WITH A LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS, ENGLISH AND RUSSIAN SOURCES CONSULTED, A GLOSSARY OF RUSSIAN WORDS USED IN THE TEXT, AND AN INDEX.