THE WASHINGTON COUNTY RESTITUTION CENTER REQUIRES RESIDENTS TO CONTRIBUTE TO THEIR ROOM AND BOARD, TO GAIN AND MAINTAIN EMPLOYMENT, TO SIGN A RESTITUTION CONTRACT, AND TO DEVELOP A MONTHLY FINANCIAL PLAN. RESIDENTS MOVE THROUGH A NINE-STEP PROGRAM, WITH PROGRESS EVALUATED WEEKLY. DURING THE LEAA GRANT PERIOD, THE CENTER HOUSED AN AVERAGE OF SIX PERSONS. AVERAGE EXPENDITURES PER RESIDENT PER DAY WERE $35.43, LESS THE AVERAGE $3.16 CONTRIBUTED BY EACH RESIDENT. LOCAL INCARCERATION IN WASHINGTON COUNTY'S JAIL (WHEN THE CENTER WAS EVALUATED) COST $18.76 PER INMATE PER DAY. WITH ADJUSTMENTS FOR JAIL CONSTRUCTION COSTS AND OTHER FACTORS, THE RESTITUTION CENTER COST $10 TO $12 MORE PER RESIDENT PER DAY THAN THE JAIL. IF THE CENTER HAD HOUSED AN AVERAGE OF 10 RESIDENTS, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN COST COMPETITIVE WITH THE JAIL. HOWEVER, WHEN THE CENTER RESIDENTS' CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE ECONOMY OF THE COMMUNITY (RETRIBUTION FEES AND SERVICES, SAVINGS, FINES, ETC.) ARE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT, THE CENTER WAS COST COMPETITIVE WITH THE JAIL AT ITS SIX-MAN OCCUPANCY RATE. NONE OF THE 36 RESIDENTS ADMITTED TO THE CENTER WERE ARRESTED FOR NEW CRIMES, ALTHOUGH 15 WERE RETURNED TO JAIL. OF THE 26 RESIDENTS WHO HAD BEEN ORDERED TO MAKE FINANCIAL RESTITUTION, THOSE ORDERED TO PAY LOWER AMOUNTS WERE MORE LIKELY TO COMPLETE THE PROGRAM SUCCESSFULLY THAN THOSE REQUIRED TO PAY HIGHER AMOUNTS. (ORDERS RANGED FROM $60 TP $3,000). NO OTHER VARIABLES RELATED SIGNIFICANTLY TO PROGRAM SUCCESS OR FAILURE. PLANS TO CONTINUE AND EXPAND THE CENTER (INCLUDING A WOMEN'S ADDITION) ARE NOTED. SUPPORTING DATA ARE PROVIDED. (LKM)