TOPICS CONSIDERED ARE THE PRISON POPULATION, STAFFING, BUILDING PROGRAM, TREATMENT AND TRAINING, UNCONVICTED AND UNSENTENCED PRISONERS, ADULT MALE PRISONERS, YOUNG MALE OFFENDERS, FEMALE INMATES, THE DEVELOPMENT OF MORE OPEN FACILITIES, PRISON RELIGIOUS SERVICES, HEALTH AND MEDICAL SERVICES, AND GENERAL DEVELOPMENTS. PRISON OVERCROWDING HAD BEEN A MAJOR PROBLEM IN ENGLAND SINCE 1975, COMPOUNDED BY LIMITATIONS ON BUILDING CONSTRUCTION AND STAFF RESOURCES. WHILE THESE PROBLEMS CONTINUED INTO 1977, NO SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN THE PRISON POPULATION OCCURRED, EXCEPT A GROWTH IN THE NUMBER OF FEMALE INMATES TO A RECORD 1,440 AT THE END OF SEPTEMBER. VIOLENCE AND DISORDER IN PRISONS HAVE ALSO BEEN INCREASING, DUE TO THE EXPANSION OF NONCUSTODIAL PROGRAMS FOR LESS SERIOUS OFFENSES AND THE ATTENDANT CONCENTRATION OF DANGEROUS AND VIOLENT OFFENDERS IN THE PRISONS. THE NUMBER OF OPEN FACILITIES WITHIN SECURE PERIMETERS HAS EXPANDED TO ACCOMMODATE OFFENDERS LESS PRONE TO MISBEHAVIOR AND ESCAPE ATTEMPTS. THE APPENDIXES LIST THE MEMBERS OF THE PRISONS BOARD, DATA ON THE OPENING AND DEVELOPMENT OF NEW ESTABLISHMENTS AND UNITS AT EXISTING FACILITIES, DATA ON ACCOMMODATION AND PRISON POPULATION, AND A STATEMENT OF EXPENDITURES. (RCB)