ALTHOUGH PRETRIAL DIVERSION PROGRAMS ARE PROLIFERATING, THEY HAVE NOT BEEN CONFIRMED AS AN EFFECTIVE ALTERNATIVE TO COURT PROCESSING DUE TO THE LACK OF EVALUATIVE STUDIES. A PRETRIAL DIVERSION PROGRAM IN ILLINOIS IS CITED TO ILLUSTRATE THE PROBLEMS WHICH CAN BE ENCOUNTERED IN ADVOCATING CAREFUL EVALUATIONS. THIS PROGRAM FAILED TO ASCERTAIN THE EFFECTS OF DIVERSION ON PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS AND NONPARTICIPANTS. MANY PROJECTS HAVE REPORTED INCREASED EMPLOYMENT AND REDUCED RECIDIVISM AS A RESULT OF PRETRIAL DIVERSION, BUT THE LACK OF COMPARISON GROUPS MAKES THE VALIDITY OF THE PROJECTS QUESTIONABLE. DESPITE METHODOLOGICALLY WEAK DESIGNS, MANY PROJECTS CLAIM DEFINITIVE FINDINGS. THE STATUS OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE RESEARCH IS COMPARABLE TO THAT OF PSYCHOTHERAPY RESEARCH IN THE 1960'S, WHEN MANY RESEARCHERS CONTENDED THAT PSYCHOTHERAPY WAS NOT EFFECTIVE. A REVIEW OF STUDIES DEALING WITH CORRECTIONAL TREATMENT AND CONDUCTED BETWEEN 1945 AND 1967 CONCLUDES THAT THESE TREATMENT PROGRAMS HAVE GENERALLY BEEN INEFFECTIVE, PARTICULARLY WITH REGARD TO REDUCING RECIDIVISM. RESEARCHERS HAVE ALSO FOUND THAT THE QUALITY OF RESEARCH IS INADEQUATE. THUS, THE TASK FOR CRIMINAL JUSTICE RESEARCH IS TO ASK MORE SPECIFIC QUESTIONS. THE FUNCTION OF EVALUATION RESEARCH AND SOCIAL POLICY IMPLICATIONS OF DIVERSION PROGRAMS ARE DISCUSSED.