BASED ON A REVIEW OF LETERATURE AND ON VISITS TO SIX JURISDICTIONS, THE REPORT DESCRIBES CRIMINAL JUSTICE PLANNING AT THREE LEVELS: AGENCY PLANNING, CITY OR COUNTY PLANNING, AND COMPREHENSIVE INTERAGENCY AND INTERGOVERNMENTAL PLANNING FOR THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM AS A WHOLE. THE IMPORTANCE OF COMPREHENSIVE PLANNING IS DISCUSSED, AND THE LOCAL PLANNING CONTEXT IS DESCRIBED. A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF PLANNING CONCEPTS AND THE EVOLUTION OF LOCAL CRIMINAL JUSTICE PLANNING IS PROVIDED. THE TYPES OF ACTIVITIES LOCAL PLANNING UNITS ARE UNDERTAKING AS THEY MOVE AWAY FROM FEDERAL GRANT MANAGEMENT TOWARD AN EMPHASIS ON TOTAL RESOURCE PLANNING ARE NOTED. OTHER ASPECTS COVERED ARE THE GOALS, OBJECTIVES, AND ACTIVITIES OF THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE PLANNING PROCESS; RELATIONSHIPS AMONG POLICY PLANNING, PROGRAM PLANNING, AND OPERATIONAL PLANNING; AND A STEP-BY-STEP PLANNING PROCESS WITH REFERENCE TO EXAMPLES FROM LOCAL JURISDICTIONS IN WHICH ADVANCED PLANNING PRACTICES ARE EMPLOYED. ALTERNATIVE ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURES FOR LOCAL PLANNING ARE DESCRIBED AND ASSESSED. THE ROLES OF THE SUPERVISORY BOARD AND PLANNING STAFF AND THE RELATIONSHIPS OF THESE ENTITIES TO EACH OTHER AND TO OTHER PLANNING STRUCTURES ARE CONSIDERED. GUIDELINES FOR ESTABLISHING AND OPERATING A LOCAL PLANNING UNIT, INCLUDING ESTABLISHING PLANNING PRIORITIES, ARE OFFERED. PROCEDURES, CRITERIA, AND MEASURES FOR EVALUATING THE PLANNING PROCESS ARE OUTLINED. DIAGRAMS, FIGURES, TABLES, AND FOOTNOTES ARE PROVIDED.