IN THE UNITED STATES, THE PUBLIC'S ATTITUDES TOWARD THE TREATMENT OF OFFENDERS DIFFERS SIGNIFICANTLY FROM THE ATTITUDES OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE PERSONNEL WHOSE PERSPECTIVES ARE MOLDED BY SPECIALIZED KNOWLEDGE AND EMPIRICAL STUDIES COMBINED WITH EXPERIENCE. THE PUBLIC GENERALLY HAS A SIMPLISTIC VIEW OF CORRECTIONS AS ESSENTIALLY PUNISHMENT METED OUT TO THE OFFENDER BECAUSE HE HAS DONE WRONG. IF THE CRIME RATE IS INCREASING, THE PUBLIC GENERALLY ASSUMES IT IS BECAUSE PUNISHMENTS HAVE NOT BEEN SEVERE ENOUGH. EVEN THOUGH CRIMINAL JUSTICE PERSONNEL KNOW THAT PUBLIC ATTITUDES ARE FLAWED, VERY LITTLE EFFORT HAS BEEN MADE TO INCREASE PUBLIC KNOWLEDGE ABOUT WHAT IS INVOLVED IN THE COMPLEXITIES OF CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR AND EFFORTS TO MODIFY AND CONTAIN IT. MOST OFTEN, THE VISIBLE INSTRUCTORS OF THE PUBLIC ABOUT CRIMINAL JUSTICE HAVE BEEN POLITICIANS, WHO PREY UPON THE PUBLIC'S FEARS AND FRUSTRATIONS BY CALLING FOR EVEN MORE HARSH PENALTIES FOR OFFENDERS. IN MOST WESTERN EUROPEAN COUNTRIES, HOWEVER, THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM IS DIVORCED FROM POLITICS AND GENERALLY LEFT TO WELL-TRAINED CRIMINAL JUSTICE PROFESSIONALS. THE PUBLIC TENDS TO VIEW OFFENDERS AS DISADVANTAGED CITIZENS WHO REQUIRE THE SPECIAL SERVICES OF THE STATE IN ORDER TO BE REHABILITATED, INSTEAD OF 'BAD GUYS' WHO DESERVE TO BE ISOLATED FROM THE 'GOOD GUYS' AND BE SEVERELY PUNISHED. EUROPEAN COUNTRIES ALSO HAVE MUCH SHORTER PRISON SENTENCES THAN DOES THE UNITED STATES. SHORTER PRISON TERMS ARE SUGGESTED, WITH REHABILITATION BEING OFFERED BUT NOT COERCED IN PRISON. TO BE EFFECTIVE, REHABILITATION MUST BE VOLUNTARY. IT IS SUGGESTED THAT EMPHASIS BE PLACED UPON POSITIVE PERSONALITY DEVELOPMENT IN CHILDHOOD THROUGH TEACHING PARENTS HOW TO GUIDE THEIR CHILDREN IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF CONSTRUCTIVE SOCIAL VALUES AND BEHAVIOR. (RCB)