SINCE 1974, REHABILITATION AGENCIES (A PROBATION, REHABILITATION, AND AFTER-CARE SERVICE FOR SUSPECTS) HAVE BEEN ATTEMPTING TO PROVIDE EARLY ASSISTANCE TO SUSPECTS DETAINED IN POLICE STATIONS. IN ORDER TO DISCOVER THE AGENCIES' DEGREE OF SUCCESS, INTERVIEWS WERE HELD WITH SUSPECTS BY REHABILITATION WORKERS OVER A 5-MONTH PERIOD IN 1977. DURING THIS TIME, 47 PERCENT OF ALL SUSPECTS TAKEN INTO POLICE CUSTODY WERE CONTACTED BY REHABILITATION OFFICERS. THE STUDY SHOWED THAT EARLY INTERVENTION BY THE REHABILITATION OFFICER DID NOT CONTRIBUTE MUCH TO LIMITING THE COURT'S USE OF CUSTODY REMANDS. HOWEVER, IT DID SOMETIMES LIMIT THE LENGTH OF CUSTODY BY EFFECTING THE SUBMISSION OF ALTERNATIVES TO THE JUDGE. THE EARLY INTERVENTION TEAM SEEMED TO HAVE HAD SOME INFLUENCE ON THE DECISION TO REQUEST A PRESENTENCE REPORT. THE MAIN EMPHASIS OF EARLY INTERVENTION WAS THE DIRECT ASSISTANCE PROVIDED TO THE SUSPECTS. THE REHABILITATION OFFICERS (1) CARRIED OUT ALL KINDS OF ODD JOBS, (2) GAVE EMOTIONAL SUPPORT TO THE SUSPECTS, AND (3) PROVIDED INFORMATION IN LEGAL MATTERS AND OTHER ASSISTANCE RESOURCES. IN TWO-THIRDS OF THE CASES, THE INTERVENTION PROCESS WAS CONTINUED AFTER THE INITIAL INTERVIEW. THE IMPORTANCE OF EARLY PREVENTION WAS THAT MORE SUSPECTS SEEMED TO BE HELPED AND THAT REHABILITATION AGENCIES WERE ABLE TO OBTAIN INFORMATION ON POSSIBLE LATER CLIENTS. STAFFING EARLY INTERVENTION TEAMS WITH A PERMANENT GROUP OF REHABILITATION OFFICERS RESULTED IN A GOOD RELATIONSHIP OF THE TEAM WITH POLICE AND JUDICIAL AUTHORITIES. THE RELATIVELY HIGH PERCENTAGE OF EARLY INTERVENTION VISITS IN THE HAGUE COULD NOT, HOWEVER, BE EXPLAINED EXCLUSIVELY BY THIS GOOD RELATIONSHIP. THE LIMITED TIME IT TOOK FOR THE TEAM TO TRAVEL TO THE SUSPECTS COULD ALSO HAVE BEEN A FACTOR. A PERMANENT TEAM FOR EARLY INTERVENTION WORK WAS RECOMMENDED FOR USE IN MEDIUM AND LARGE CITIES. TO IMPROVE THE TEAMS' EFFECTIVENESS, MORE EMPHASIS SHOULD BE PLACED ON ALTERNATIVES TO REMANDS OF CUSTODY AND THE PRESENTENCE REPORT BY THE OFFICERS REGARDING THEIR CONSULTATIONS WITH MEMBERS OF THE COURT, AND EARLY INTERVENTION SERVICES SHOULD BE EXTENDED TO THE WEEKENDS. STATISTICAL DATA, SAMPLE REGISTRATION FORMS, AND QUESTIONNAIRES ARE PROVIDED IN AN APPENDIX. --IN DUTCH. (WVK)