ARD PARTICIPATION WAS VOLUNTARY FOR FIRST OFFENDERS ACCUSED OF NONSERIOUS CRIMES SUCH AS LARCENY OR DRUG POSSESSION. AT THE HEARING OFFENDERS WERE ACCOMPANIED BY FAMILY MEMBERS, WERE READ THE CHARGES, AND WERE GIVEN PROBATION SENTENCES. SINCE THE CHARGES WERE DROPPED TEMPORARILY FOR ARD PARTICIPANTS, THEY WERE NOT ENCOURAGED TO DEFEND THEMSELVES, AND NO ISSUE WAS MADE OF THEIR GUILT OR INNOCENCE. ARD OFFERED THE OFFENDER PERSONAL OR GROUP COUNSELING AND JOB COUNSELING ON AN ONGOING BASIS. AN ARD PARTICIPANT COULD REQUEST THAT THE OFFENSE RECORD BE EXPUNGED IF NO FURTHER ARREST WAS MADE. FOR THE EVALUATION STUDY, 30 ARD PARTICIPANTS AND 30 NON-ARD FIRST OFFENDERS WERE CHOSEN AS A SAMPLE, AND OFFENSES AND CHARACTERISTICS OF THE GROUPS WERE COMPARED. TELEPHONE INTERVIEWS WITH SUBJECTS SUPPLIED DATA IN THE FOLLOWING AREAS: SUBJECTS' REACTIONS TO THE COURT EXPERIENCE; PROJECTIONS CONCERNING EFFECTS OF CONTACT WITH THE JUSTICE SYSTEM ON JOBS AND LIFESTYLES; AND ATTITUDES TOWARD THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM. THE INFORMATION OBTAINED WAS SUBJECTED TO VARIOUS STATISTICAL TECHNIQUES AND ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE. THE RESULTS SHOWED THAT ATTITUDES TOWARD THE COURT EXPERIENCE WERE MORE POSITIVE FOR ARD PARTICIPANTS THAN FOR THE CONTROL SUBJECTS, THAT THERE WAS NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE IN REARREST RATES FOR THE TWO GROUPS, AND THAT NON-ARD SUBJECTS HAD A GREATER NUMBER OF GUILTY CONVICTIONS FOR REARREST AND PERCEIVED A GREATER NEGATIVE EFFECT OF THE COURTS ON THEIR LIVES THAN DID ARD PARTICIPANTS. NEITHER ARD PARTICIPATION NOR RECIDIVISM SEEMED TO HAVE ANY EFFECT ON ATTITUDES TOWARD THE JUSTICE SYSTEM IN GENERAL. SUBJECTS REPORTED A FEELING OF HELPLESSNESS IN THE COURT AND A MISTRUST OF POLICE. REASONS FOR THE EVALUATION OUTCOMES ARE DISCUSSED, AND FUTURE RESEARCH RECOMMENDATIONS ARE OFFERED. IT IS SUGGESTED THAT ARD PARTICIPANTS BE ALLOWED TO DISCUSS THEIR CASES IN COURT BRIEFLY, THAT MORE USE BE MADE OF ARD PERSONNEL FOR COUNSELING AND PSYCHOLOGICAL HELP, AND THAT INDIVIDUAL PETITION REQUIREMENTS FOR EXPUNGING ARREST RECORDS BE ABOLISHED. THE SURVEY QUESTIONNAIRE AND DATA AND BIBLIOGRAPHIC REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED. (DAG)