THE MEASURE OF RECIDIVISM USED IS THE TOTAL LENGTH OF ALL PRISON SENTENCES RECEIVED DURING A SPECIFIC FOLLOW-UP TIME AFTER RELEASE FROM PRISON (TTSENT). THE DETERMINANTS OF TTSENT WERE INVESTIGATED USING THE TOBIT TECHNIQUE. VARIABLES FOUND TO EXERT SIGNIFICANT INFLUENCE ON TTSENT WERE THE NUMBER OF PREVIOUS PRISON CONVICTIONS, RACE, AGE AT FIRST ARREST, AGE AT RELEASE, MARITAL STATUS, ALCOHOLISM OR USE OF HARD DRUGS, AND PARTICIPATION IN THE WORK RELEASE PROGRAM. RESULTS SHOW THAT THE SERIOUSNESS OF CRIMINAL ACTIVITY IS HIGHEST FOR A YOUNG, WHITE, UNMARRIED ALCOHOLIC OR DRUG ADDICT ARRESTED AT AN EARLY AGE, NOT IN THE WORK RELEASE PROGRAM, YOUNG AT THE TIME OF RELEASE FROM PRISON, AND WITH MANY PRIOR PRISON SENTENCES. THE ANALYSIS POINTS TOWARD POLICIES LIKELY TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN REDUCING TTSENT. THE SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT VARIABLE DETERMINING TTSENT BEING THE EXISTENCE OF AN ALCOHOL OR DRUG PROBLEM, INDICATIONS ARE THAT EFFECTIVE PROGRAMS FOR TREATING ADDICTIVE PROBLEMS WOULD COUNTER REPETITIVE CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR. RESULTS ALSO INDICATE THAT NORTH CAROLINA'S WORK RELEASE PROGRAM DOES HELP TO REDUCE RECIDIVISM. TABULAR AND GRAPHIC DATA AND FOOTNOTES ARE PROVIDED. (RCB)