REPRESENTATIVES OF CORRECTIONS DEPARTMENTS FROM VARIOUS STATES REPORT ON THEIR EXPERIENCES WITH THE OBSCIS (OFFENDER-BASED STATE CORRECTIONS INFORMATION SYSTEM) AND PRESENT RECOMMENDATIONS FOR USING COMPUTER-GENERATED DATA FOR ADMINISTRATIVE DECISIONMAKING AND CORRECTIONS PLANNING. INFORMATION IS PROVIDED ON WAYS TO AVOID COMMON PROBLEMS IN OBSCIS DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION. MANY REPRESENTATIVES REPORTED DIFFICULTIES WITH OBSCIS DUE TO INSUFFICIENT PLANNING, INADEQUATE AND UNTRAINED STAFF, AND VARIOUS ORGANIZATIONAL COMPLICATIONS. ECONOMIC CONSIDERATIONS AND THE USE OF MINICOMPUTERS ARE EXAMINED. A BASIC OBSCIS IS DEFINED AND PROJECTION METHODOLOGIES ARE OUTLINED. A PAPER ALSO PRESENTS A WORKSHOP OUTLINE ON INITIATING A BASIC OBSCIS APPROACH. REPRESENTATIVES FROM TWO STATES EXAMINE APPROACHES TO STATISTICS USE, AND A CANADIAN REPRESENTATIVE DISCUSSES A CANADIAN PERSPECTIVE TO CORRECTIONS INFORMATION SYSTEM DEVELOPMENT. THE FINAL SECTION CONTAINS PAPERS CONCERNED WITH THE NATIONAL INTEREST IN CORRECTIONS INFORMATION AND DISCUSSES INFORMATION PROGRAMS IN OPERATION. THESE INCLUDE THE UNIFORM CRIME REPORTING PROGRAM, THE UNIFORM PAROLE REPORTS, THE INFORMATION SYSTEMS DEVELOPMENT IN THE FEDERAL PRISON SYSTEM, AND THE NATIONAL PRISONER STATISTICS PROGRAM.