IN THE STUDY, 20 JURORS RATED 43 GUIDELINE STATEMENTS ON RECREATION SERVICES DEVELOPED BY AN INVESTIGATOR AND A 4-MEMBER GUIDELINE DEVELOPMENT PANEL FOR THE STATE OF MARYLAND. THEN THE STATISTICAL PACKAGE FOR THE SOCIAL SCIENCES COMPUTER PROGRAM WAS USED TO CALCULATE JURY RATINGS. QUESTIONNAIRES WERE SENT TO 33 STATE CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTIONS REQUESTING DATA ON RECREATION PERSONNEL, PROGRAMMING, FACILITIES, FISCAL MATTERS, AND RELATED SUBJECTS TO DETERMINE THE STATUS OF EXISTING SERVICES IN THE U.S. WHEN SURVEY RESULTS WERE COMPARED WITH THE IDEAL SERVICES PRESCRIBED IN THE GUIDELINES, RESULTS REVEALED THAT CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTIONS APPROXIMATE OR FULFILL MOST OF THE GUIDELINE STATEMENTS. AMONG THE NUMEROUS CONCLUSIONS DRAWN IN THE STUDY ARE THE FOLLOWING: (1) SMALLER INSTITUTIONS OFFERED FEWER ORGANIZED RECREATION PROGRAMS; (2) PHYSICAL EDUCATORS ARE THE MOST UTILIZED SPECIALISTS WITHIN THE RECREATION PROGRAM; (3) USE OF COMMUNITY FACILITIES/RESOURCES IS ALMOST NONEXISTENT AMONG INSTITUTIONS SURVEYED: (4) LARGER INSTITUTIONS EMPHASIZE VARSITY COMPETITION MORE THAN THE MEDIUM-SIZED AND SMALL PRISONS; AND (5) VOLUNTEERS ARE USED MOST OFTEN BY THE SMALL INSTITUTIONS. THE RESEARCHERS MADE THE FOLLOWING SUGGESTIONS: ORGANIZED PRISON RECREATION SERVICES SHOULD BE DESIGNED TO SERVE ALL AGES, WITH SPECIAL ATTENTION TO THE 16- TO 35 -YEAR AGE GROUP; SKILLED SPECIALISTS SHOULD BE EMPLOYED TO COMPLEMENT FULL-TIME RECREATION PERSONNEL; MORE FUNDS SHOULD BE ALLOCATED TO LEISURE TIME PROGRAM PLANNING; PART-TIME PERSONNEL AND VOLUNTEERS SHOULD BE MORE EFFECTIVELY UTILIZED IN THESE PROGRAMS; THE USE OF COMMUNITY INDOOR AND OUTDOOR FACILITIES FOR RECREATION SHOULD BE ENCOURAGED. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FUTURE RESEARCH AND FURTHER IMPLICATIONS OF THE STUDY ARE INCLUDED. THE PROPOSED RECREATION GUIDELINES ARE APPENDED. NO REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED. (WJR)