EMPLOYEE SELECTION IN INDUSTRY AND INMATE SELECTION FOR PAROLE ARE VIEWED AS ANALOGOUS, SUCH THAT A PROCEDURE DEEMED EFFECTIVE FOR EMPLOYEE SELECTION IN INDUSTRY IS CONSIDERED LIKELY TO HAVE THE SAME RESULTS IN PAROLE DECISIONMAKING. WHILE THE INFORMATION-GATHERING PROCEDURE DESCRIBED IS ASSESSED TO BE A VALUABLE PART OF A RATIONAL DECISIONMAKING PROCESS IN PAROLE DETERMINATIONS, IT IS ADVISED THAT IT IS NOT INTENDED TO BECOME A MECHANICAL TOOL TO BE USED ALONE. THE INFORMATION-GATHERING PROCESS IS ROOTED IN PREDETERMINED DEFINITIONS OF THE SUCCESS DESIRED FROM THE PERSONS SELECTED FOR PAROLE. THE COMPONENTS CHOSEN FOR 'SUCCESS' IN PAROLE ARE: CONFORMITY TO THE CONDITIONS OF PAROLE; FREEDOM FROM CRIMINAL ACTIVITY (PARTICULARLY VIOLENCE) WHILE ON PAROLE (TO BE DETERMINED BY THE PAROLE OFFICER); MAINTAINING A STEADY JOB; AND SOCIAL ADAPTATION IN RELATIONSHIPS WITH FAMILY, FRIENDS, AND EMPLOYERS. THE INTENTION OF THE INFORMATION-GATHERING PROCESS IS TO ASCERTAIN WHAT DEMOGRAPHIC VARIABLES, PATTERNS OF CRIMINAL HISTORY, INMATE PERSONALITY CHARACTERISTICS, PATTERNS OF FAMILY ADAPTATION, AND JOB HISTORIES CORRELATE WITH THE DEFINED MEASURES OF PAROLE SUCCESS. THIS IS DONE BY USING CROSS SECTIONAL AND LONGITUDINAL STUDIES OF PAROLEE SAMPLES, EMPLOYING MULTIVARIATE CORRELATIONAL STATISTICAL TECHNIQUES, SUCH AS MULTIVARIATE REGRESSION ANALYSIS. THE PARTICULAR STUDIES DONE TO DEVELOP THE INFORMATION-GATHERING PROCEDURE DESCRIBED ARE DISCUSSED. (RCB)