A TOTAL OF 1,198 DRUNKENNESS OFFENDERS WERE ADMITTED TO THE ANTELOPE VALLEY REHABILITATION CENTERS (ACTON, WARM SPRINGS, AND MIRA LOMA) IN THE NORTHERN SECTION OF LOS ANGELES COUNTY, CALIF., BY COURT REFERRAL DURING THE 12 MONTHS BEGINNING JUNE 26, 1967. ARREST RECORDS FOR ALL OF THESE SUBJECTS WERE SECURED FROM THE STATE CRIMINAL IDENTIFICATION AND INVESTIGATION HEADQUARTERS. OF THE ORIGINAL SAMPLE, 485 RECORDS WERE UNUSABLE FOR STUDY, AND THE SAMPLE CONSISTED OF THE REMAINING 713 CASES. THE TOTAL NUMBER OF DRUNKENNESS ARRESTS ACCUMULATED BY THE 713 MEN DURING THE 12 MONTHS PRIOR TO ADMISSION TO A REHABILITATION CENTER WAS COMPARED WITH THE TOTAL NUMBER OF SUCH ARRESTS DURING THE 12 MONTHS FOLLOWING DISCHARGE. ONLY ARRESTS FOR PUBLIC DRUNKENNESS WERE CONSIDERED. THE STATISTICAL SIGNIFICANCE OF THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE AVERAGE NUMBER OF THESE ARRESTS DURING THE TWO PERIODS WAS MEASURED BY THE T TEST. RESULTS SHOW THAT THE AVERAGE NUMBER OF ARRESTS FOR EACH SUBJECT BEFORE TREATMENT WAS 8, WHILE THE AVERAGE NUMBER AFTER TREATMENT WAS 4.2. THE IMPOSITION OF LONGER JAIL SENTENCES FOR EACH ARREST DURING THE POSTTREATMENT YEAR MAY HAVE CONTRIBUTED SOMEWHAT TO THE REDUCTION IN ARREST AND ARRAIGNMENT FREQUENCIES. TOTAL TIME INCARCERATED, HOWEVER, WAS LESS DURING THE POSTTREATMENT PERIOD. DATA FOR COST COMPARISONS WERE BASED ON A SUBSAMPLE OF 100 MEN DRAWN FROM THE ORIGINAL 713 BY SELECTING EVERY 7TH RECORD IN AN ALPHABETIC LISTING. THE AVERAGE NUMBER OF ARRESTS, ARRAIGNMENTS, JAIL SENTENCES, LESS 'GOOD TIME,' AND FINES CHARGED WERE OBTAINED FOR BOTH THE 12 MONTHS BEFORE AND AFTER TREATMENT. MINIMUM AND MAXIMUM ESTIMATES WERE DERIVED FOR THE COST TO THE JUSTICE SYSTEM OF EACH OF THE SUBJECTS DURING THE PERIODS CONSIDERED. COST DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE PRETREATMENT AND POSTTREATMENT YEARS REPRESENTED AN ESTIMATED COST REDUCTION TO THE JUSTICE SYSTEM OF BETWEEN $415,000 (MINIMUM ESTIMATE) AND $631,000 (MAXIMUM ESTIMATE). ON BOTH A HUMANITARIAN AND COST BASIS, THE REHABILITATION MODEL FOR HANDLING PUBLIC DRUNKENNESS IS DEEMED SUPERIOR TO THE PUNITIVE MODEL. (RCB)