THE TOTAL PROBLEM AND PROCESS OF RECIDIVISM HAS BEEN MISSTATED AND MISUNDERSTOOD, NOT JUST IN THE UNITED STATES, BUT AROUND THE WORLD. THE BASIC DEFINITION IS SIMPLE: 'A RETURN TO PRISON.' ITS SIMPLICITY, HOWEVER, HAS LED TO SIMPLISTIC SOCIOLOGICAL STUDIES WHICH FAIL TO FOCUS ON WHY THE OFFENDER RETURNS. RECIDIVISM IS A DISEASE, THE PSYCHOLOGICAL EQUIVALENT OF DESENSITIZATION. DESENSITIZATION IS RENDERING A PERSON OR TISSUE NONREACTIVE TO A SUBSTANCE BY REMOVING THE ANTIBODIES FROM SENSITIZED CELLS. THE PSYCHOLOGICAL DESENSITIZATION PROCESS IS SEEN CLEARLY AMONG PRISONERS IN CONCENTRATION CAMPS AND POLITICAL LEADERS IMPRISONED FOR THEIR BELIEFS. THESE GROUPS PROVE THAT ONE CAN BECOME ACCUSTOMED TO ALL TYPES OF HORRORS. IMPRISONED POLITICAL LEADERS DEVELOP A DEFIANT ATTITUDE TOWARD THE SOCIETY WHICH IMPRISONED THEM AND THUS THE BRITISH SYSTEM OF PUTTING SUCH INDIVIDUALS IN CHARGE OF A GOVERNMENT SECTION IS SEEN AS MUCH WISER THAN THE USE OF IMPRISONMENT. THE SECOND MAJOR GROUP OF RECIDIVISTS IS MADE UP OF PERSONS WHO HAVE INADEQUATE PERSONALITIES. THEY CANNOT FUNCTION OUTSIDE OF A STRUCTURED ENVIRONMENT. RATHER THAN COMMIT THEMSELVES TO A MENTAL INSTITUTION OR LIVE ON PERPETUAL WELFARE, THEY ASK THE STATE TO TAKE CARE OF THEM BY PERPETUALLY COMMITTING MINOR CRIMES WHICH LEAD TO IMPRISONMENT. IF THESE PERSONS WERE OMITTED FROM THE STATISTICS, RECIDIVISM RATES WOULD DROP FROM 62 TO 68 PERCENT A YEAR TO A TRUE RATE OF 35 TO 50 PERCENT. (GLR)