CHANGES IN SOCIAL ATTITUDES AND PROGRAMS ARE NOT DIFFICULT TO ACHIEVE IN ISRAEL, A COUNTRY POSSESSING SOME OF THE MOST DESIRABLE CONDITIONS FOR CRIMINOLOGICAL AND OTHER SOCIOLOGICAL RESEARCH. DESPITE THIS, THE IMPLEMENTATION OF INNOVATIVE IDEAS IN THE FIELD OF CORRECTIONS IS NOT EASY. DIFFERENT WAYS OF APPLYING MODELS AND CONCEPTIONS OF CRIME AND PUNISHMENT ARE FASHIONED BY THE HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL BACKGROUND OF THE POPULATION. THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE PENAL SYSTEM AND FACILITIES IS DIVIDED AMONG SEVERAL GOVERNMENT MINISTRIES. EIGHT INSTITUTIONS ARE UNDER THE JURISDICTION OF THE PRISON SERVICE. AS OF 1975, 13 PERCENT OF ALL INMATES IN THESE INSTITUTIONS WERE DETAINEES AWAITING TRIAL OR SENTENCE, 22 PERCENT WERE SENTENCED TO PERIODS OF IMPRISONMENT UP TO 1 YEAR, AND 40 PERCENT WERE SENTENCED TO PERIODS OF IMPRISONMENT FROM 1 YEAR TO 3 YEARS. THE RATIO OF INMATES WAS APPROXIMATELY 65 FOR EVERY 100,000 PERSONS. ACCORDING TO OFFICIAL STATEMENTS OF THE PRISON SERVICE, THERE ARE TWO MAIN OBJECTIVES OF CORRECTIONS: (1) TO GUARD INMATES IN AN EFFECTIVE MANNER; AND (2) TO TRAIN INMATES TO LEAD NORMAL LIVES AFTER DISCHARGE THROUGH EDUCATION AND TREATMENT. ACTIVITIES ARE DESIGNED TO FACILITATE THE RESOCIALIZATION PROCESS. THERE IS NO PAROLE SYSTEM; RATHER, THERE IS A DISCHARGE BOARD ENTITLED TO GRANT EARLY RELEASE TO INMATES SENTENCED TO MORE THAN 6 MONTHS IMPRISONMENT OF FOR INDIVIDUAL AND SPECIAL REASONS. WORK RELEASE CAN BE APPLIED TO INMATES 6 MONTHS BEFORE THEY COMPLETE TWO-THIRDS OF THEIR TERM OR 6 MONTHS BEFORE THEY COMPLETE THEIR FULL TERM. ONCE PERMISSION IS GRANTED FOR WORK RELEASE, INMATES ARE TRANSFERRED TO A REHABILITATION HOSTEL. IT IS CONCLUDED THAT THE CORRECTIONAL SYSTEM IN ISRAEL IS SIMILAR IN MANY WAYS TO SYSTEMS IN THE UNITED STATES AND WESTERN EUROPEAN COUNTRIES. DATA ON INMATES AS OF 1975 ARE TABULATED, AND NOTES ARE INCLUDED. (DEP)