THE UNIT OF MEASUREMENT FOR DETERMINING RATES OF RECIDIVISM WAS ARRESTS. STANDARDIZED INTAKE FORMS FROM THE REHABILITATION AND DIVERSION SERVICES WERE ANALYZED: THE UNIVERSE SIZE WAS 2,860 MEN AND BOYS. THE MAGNITUDE OF CRIMINAL RECIDIVISM WAS HIGH, AND THE MAJORITY OF THE CRIMES REPRESENTED BY THE ARRESTS WERE SERIOUS. MORE CLIENTS AGED 20 OR YOUNGER RECIDIVATED, WITH A GREATER NUMBER OF ARRESTS AND WITH CRIMES THAT WERE MORE SERIOUS, THAN DID CLIENTS WHO WERE 21 OR OLDER. THIS WAS PARTICULARLY TRUE FOR JUVENILES IN THE 13 TO 15 AGE GROUP WHO WERE IN 5 DIVERSION PROJECTS: THAT GROUP HAD THE HIGHEST AND MOST SERIOUS CRIMINAL RECIDIVISM OF ANY OF THE AGE GROUPS MEASURED. IT WAS CONCLUDED THAT THE AMOUNT AND TYPE OF CRIMINAL RECIDIVISM ARE SO HIGH IN THEIR COST TO THE VICTIMS THAT THE REHABILITATION SERVICES FAIL AS APPROACHES TO THE PREVENTION AND CONTROL OF CRIME, PARTICULARLY VIOLENT CRIME. FURTHER, DIFFERENCES AMONG THE PROJECTS, SUCH AS THE AMOUNTS AND TYPES OF REHABILITATION SERVICES PROVIDED OR ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS SUCH AS UNEMPLOYMENT, DID NOT APPEAR TO BE RELATED TO THE FAILURE. IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS FOR APPROACHES TO THE PROBLEM OF VIOLENT CRIME ARE EXAMINED. MANDATORY SENTENCES OF INCARCERATION FOR THOSE CONVICTED OF VIOLENT CRIMES AGAINST STRANGERS ARE DISCUSSED, ILLUSTRATED, AND RECOMMENDED AS THE MOST PROMISING AND IMPORTANT APPROACH. PREVENTIVE DETENTION OF THOSE CHARGED WITH VIOLENT CRIMES AND THE APPLICATION OF BOTH OF THESE APPROACHES TO JUVENILES ARE ALSO RECOMMENDED. APPENDIXES PRESENT RESEARCH METHODOLOGY AND PROJECT DESCRIPTIONS. TABULAR DATA AND A BIBLIOGRAPHY ARE PROVIDED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED--DAS)