IMPETUS FOR THE CONFERENCE CAME FROM A 1975 CONFERENCE HELD IN KEYSTONE, COLORADO. AN IMPORTANT ASPECT OF THE PLANNING PROCESS WAS AN INITIAL NEEDS ASSESSMENT WORKSHOP HELD TO REVIEW THE NEEDS IDENTIFIED BY THE KEYSTONE CONFERENCE, TO SELECT THOSE NEEDS MOST APPROPRIATE TO THE STATES OF MONTANA AND WYOMING, TO ASCERTAIN NEEDS SPECIFIC TO THESE TWO STATES BUT NOT COVERED AT KEYSTONE, AND TO CREATE A LIST OF PRIORITY TRAINING NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED. THESE NEEDS INCLUDED RESOURCE UTILIZATION THROUGH CONSOLIDATION, CITIZEN INVOLVEMENT, PREVENTION, IMPROVING INTERNAL OPERATIONS, AND THE LAW ENFORCEMENT-COURTS INTERACTION. THEY PROVIDED THE BASIS FOR PLANNING THE CONFERENCE AND IDENTIFYING AND SECURING THE APPROPRIATE RESOURCES. THE CONFERENCE WAS DESIGNED TO ADDRESS THREE MAJOR INTEREST AREAS: CONSOLIDATED SERVICES, MANAGEMENT, AND CITIZEN INVOLVEMENT. THE TOPIC OF CONSOLIDATED SERVICES WAS DIVIDED INTO TWO PARTS: A SIMULATION ACTIVITY WHICH ATTEMPTED TO ILLUSTRATE THE DIFFICULTIES THAT CAN ARISE WHEN DIVERSE GROUPS WORK ON A COORDINATED PROJECT; AND A THOROUGH EXAMINATION OF THE UNDERLYING THEORIES, STRATEGIES, AND PROBLEMS IN PROVIDING CONSOLIDATED LEGAL SERVICES. MANAGEMENT COVERED A VARIETY OF TOPICS: A MAJOR BLOCK OF TIME WAS DEVOTED TO BUDGET PREPARATION AND TO SOME OF THE INTERPERSONAL DIMENSIONS THAT AFFECT THE OPERATION OF A SHERIFF'S OR POLICE DEPARTMENT. CITIZEN INVOLVEMENT EXPLORED WAYS IN WHICH CITIZENS MIGHT PROVIDE LAW ENFORCEMENT SERVICES IN RURAL AREAS. TWO MAJOR APPROACHES WERE PRESENTED: THE FIRST DEALT WITH CRIME WATCH PROGRAMS, AND THE SECOND EXAMINED THE USE OF RESERVE UNITS IN MEETING SERVICE RESPONSIBILITIES TO COMMUNITIES. A MODIFIED VERSION OF THE LIFE OFFICE MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATIONS EVALUATION INSTRUMENT WAS USED TO MEASURE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE CONFERENCE. THE EVALUATION FOUND THAT THE WORKSHOP SESSIONS WERE RELEVANT AND DELIVERED IN A QUALITY MANNER. FEW COMPLAINED ABOUT THE SESSION OVERLAP, AND 64 PERCENT WOULD STRONGLY RECOMMEND THE PROGRAM DESIGN AGAIN. COMPLAINTS WERE NOTED ABOUT THE LACK OF SUFFICIENT TAKE-HOME MATERIALS. THE APPENDIXES CONTAIN THE NEEDS LIST FROM THE KEYSTONE CONFERENCE, THE EVALUATION FORMAT, THE CONFERENCE OPENING ADDRESS AND CLOSING REMARKS, A RURAL CRIMINAL JUSTICE BIBLIOGRAPHY, AND A LIST OF PARTICIPANTS.