NEW MEXICO'S OFFENDER-BASED STATE CORRECTIONS INFORMATION SYSTEM (OBSCIS) PROVIDES ADMINISTRATORS WITH HISTORICAL DATA FOR TREND ANALYSIS, WITH POINT-IN-TIME DATA ON PRISON POPULATIONS AND INDIVIDUAL CLIENTS, AND WITH PROJECTIONS FOR DEVELOPMENT OF CAPITAL BUILDING REQUESTS AND BUDGETS. THE SYSTEM ALSO MAKES IT POSSIBLE FOR ADMINISTRATORS TO RESPOND READILY TO INQUIRIES FROM ELECTED OFFICIALS, THE MEDIA, CLIENTS' FAMILIES, AND OTHERS. THE SYSTEM'S APPLICATION IN PROGRAM DECISIONMAKING IS ILLUSTRATED IN THE GENERATION OF INMATE POPULATION MATRICES FOR USE IN DESIGNING A PROGRAM FOR A NEWLY AVAILABLE TREATMENT FACILITY AND ASSIGNING CLIENTS TO THE PROGRAM. BY PROVIDING DATA ON GRIEVANCE RESOLUTION, RECIDIVISM, TRENDS IN DISCIPLINARY INFRACTIONS, ESCAPE STATUS, AND TIME SPENT IN SEGREGATION, OBSCIS AIDS IN THE MONITORING OF THE EFFECTIVENESS AND EQUITABILITY OF THE CORRECTIONS PROGRAM. TWO INFORMATION SUBSYSTEMS, BUDGET ACCOUNTING AND AFFIRMATIVE ACTION/UPWARD MOBILITY ACCOUNTING, ARE BEING DESIGNED TO PROVIDE ADMINISTRATORS WITH ADDITIONAL MONITORING TOOLS. THE NEW MEXICO DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS USED OBSCIS TO RESPOND TO A LEGISLATIVE REQUEST FOR AN ANALYSIS OF THE LIKELY IMPACT OF DETERMINATE SENTENCING LEGISLATION ON THE CORRECTIONS SYSTEMS. OBSCIS IS PRIMARILY A TOOL FOR THE LINE ADMINISTRATION OF INSTITUTIONAL AND FIELD (PROBATION AND PAROLE) SERVICE PROGRAMS. HOWEVER, USED PROPERLY, THE OBSCIS DATA BASE CAN PROVIDE THE STATE CORRECTIONAL ADMINISTRATOR WITH A SOPHISTICATED MONITORING AND DECISIONMAKING TOOL. BEFORE DEVELOPING AN AUTOMATED INFORMATION SYSTEM, ADMINISTRATORS MUST DECIDE EXACTLY HOW THEY ARE GOING TO USE THE SYSTEM IN PLANNING AND DECISIONMAKING. EXAMPLES OF OUTPUT FROM THE NEW MEXICO OBSCIS ARE INCLUDED.