THE GUIDELINE DEVELOPMENT EFFORT BEGAN IN FEBRUARY 1978 WITH A STUDY OF WORK HISTORY AND OTHER CORRELATES OF PAROLE SUCCESS. THE EFFORT CULMINATED IN THE ESTABLISHMENT AND TESTING OF PAROLE-RATING GUIDELINES WHICH BEGINNING IN JULY 1979, WILL BE APPLIED TO ALL FELONY INMATES SERVING NONLIFE SENTENCES. THE GUIDELINES ARE STRUCTURED AROUND A LIST OF OFFENSES RANKED BY SEVERITY. A SECOND LIST CONTAINS OTHER FACTORS SIGNIFICANT TO THE PAROLE DECISION, SUCH AS PRIOR CRIMINAL RECORD AND DRUG ABUSE HISTORY. RISK LEVEL IS DETERMINED BY ADDING TOGETHER WEIGHTED SCORES FOR CRIMINAL AND SOCIAL CHARACTERISTICS THAT CONTRIBUTE TO PAROLE FAILURE. BOARD MEMBERS USE A CHART TO DETERMINE HOW LONG AN INMATE WITH A GIVEN OFFENSE-SEVERITY LEVEL, PAROLE RISK LEVEL, AND COURT-IMPOSED SENTENCE LENGTH SHOULD BE KEPT IN PRISON. THE GUIDELINES ARE INTENDED TO MAKE THE STATE'S PAROLE DECISIONMAKING PROCESS MORE CONSISTENT AND MORE OPEN TO PUBLIC SCRUTINY. THE SECOND MAJOR EVENT DURING THE REPORTING PERIOD WAS THE RETURN OF RESPONSIBILITY FOR PAROLE SUPERVISION TO THE BOARD, AFTER A 5-YEAR EXPERIMENT IN WHICH A SEPARATE DEPARTMENT OF OFFENDER REHABILITATION SUPERVISED PAROLEES. OTHER BOARD ACTIVITIES ARE MENTIONED, AND STATISTICS DOCUMENTING BOARD DECISIONS (COMMUTATION, PAROLE, CONDITIONAL RELEASE, REVOCATION, PARDON, ETC.) ARE PRESENTED. AN ORGANIZATIONAL CHART AND A MAP SHOWING GEORGIA PAROLE DISTRICTS ARE PROVIDED. (LKM)