IN RECENT YEARS THE FRENCH CORRECTIONAL SYSTEM HAS SUPPORTED A DIFFERENTIAL STRATEGY FOR DEALING WITH OFFENDERS: AMATEURS ARE PENALIZED WITH FINES OR CONDITIONAL RELEASE, WHILE PRISON TERMS ARE RESERVED FOR THE MOST HARDENED CRIMINALS. THE DANGER OF THIS STRATEGY LIES IN THE BLACK AND WHITE CLASSIFICATION OF OFFENDERS AND IN THE POSSIBILITY THAT REEDUCATION PROGRAMS IN PRISONS WILL BE ABANDONED. BANDITS ARE DEFINED AS PROFESSIONAL CRIMINALS COMING FROM VARIOUS SOCIAL BACKGROUNDS WHO COMMIT VIOLENT CRIMES AGAINST PERSONS WITH THE SUPPORT OF A GROUP. IN PRISON, BANDITS ARE NOT DISTINGUISHED FROM OTHER PRISONERS UNLESS THEY ARE REGISTERED ON A SPECIAL CENTRAL FILE OF BANDITS WHO POSE A THREAT TO SOCIETY. BANDITS SELDOM MISBEHAVE IN PRISON AND HAVE NO APPARENT PSYCHOLOGICAL PROBLEMS, SO THAT THEY ARE FREQUENTLY RELEASED EARLY BUT PRISON REINFORCES THEIR CRIMINAL TENDENCIES BECAUSE THEY CAN ESTABLISH CONTROL OVER OTHER PRISONS AND GUARDS AND ORGANIZE ILLEGAL ACTIVITIES WITHIN THE PRISON; THEY ARE THUS ABLE TO NURTURE THEIR EGOCENTRISM AND TO RECRUIT NEW ASSOCIATES FOR POSTRELEASE ACTIVITIES. PRISON TREATMENT OF BANDITS SHOULD FOLLOW THE MORRIS MODEL WITH SELECTION ACCORDING TO SET CRITERIA, WITH TREATMENT IN A PERMISSIVE ATMOSPHERE FREE OF VIOLENCE WHERE WORK AND PARTICIPATION IN A LIVING GROUP ARE THE ONLY REQUIREMENTS; WHERE EDUCATION, CULTURAL ACTIVITIES, AND PSYCHIATRIC TREATMENT ARE PROVIDED; AND WITH SPECIALLY TRAINED PERSONNEL, ESPECIALLY MOTHERLY WOMEN OVER AGE 40. SUCH ATTEMPTS AT PRISON THERAPY ARE HINDERED BY THE MORAL CONFUSION IN MODERN SOCIETY WHICH MAKES PHENOMENA SUCH AS BANDITRY POSSIBLE. A FEW NOTES ARE SUPPLIED. --IN FRENCH. (KMD)