DATA WERE OBTAINED FROM A QUESTIONNAIRE SENT TO THE INVOLVED COUNTRIES (AUSTRALIA, BELGIUM, CANADA, DENMARK, FINLAND, FRANCE, FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF GERMANY, ISRAEL, ITALY, JAPAN, THE NETHERLANDS, SWEDEN, TURKEY, UNITED KINGDOM, AND THE UNITED STATES) AND FROM A LITERATURE REVIEW. THE QUESTIONNAIRE WAS DESIGNED TO DETERMINE THE EXISTENCE, STRUCTURE, AND OPERATIONS OF ORGANIZATIONS IN THE RESPONDENT COUNTRIES DEVOTED TO RESEARCH AND ITS APPLICATION TO CRIMINAL JUSTICE POLICY. INFORMATION WAS OBTAINED IN LATE 1975 AND EARLY 1976. MOST OF THE RESPONDENTS HAVE SUCH ORGANIZATIONS. THEY COORDINATE, FUND, SPONSOR, AND MONITOR ACTION PROJECTS AND EVALUATIONS AND, IN MOST CASES, ARE LOCATED WITHIN THE MINISTRIES OF JUSTICE. NO MAJOR TRENDS IN STRUCTURE AND PERSONNEL CAN BE NOTED, EXCEPT FOR A STATED EFFORT AT AN INTERDISCIPLINARIAN APPROACH. THE MAJOR PROBLEM IS ESTABLISHING AND MAINTAINING COMMUNICATION CHANNELS BETWEEN RESEARCH AND POLICYMAKING GROUPS. SOME GUIDELINES FOR THE RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT ENTERPRISE INCLUDE FREEDOM OF RESEARCH; INTERDISCIPLINARY APPROACH; ACCESS TO PLANNING BOARDS, PARLIAMENTS, AND VARIOUS MINISTRIES, AS WELL AS THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM; ACCESS TO DEVELOPMENTAL PLANNING; LONG-RANGE PLANNING, PARTICULARLY FOR PREVENTION; CONTINUOUS TESTING OF NEW LAWS AND POLICIES; MODERN DATA-GATHERING, INCLUDING PUBLIC OPINION SURVEYS; ANALYSIS OF VARIATION OF THE CONCEPT OF DEVIANCE; USE OF FORECASTING MODELS, INCLUDING SOCIOECONOMIC INDICATORS; AND INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION AND TRANSFERABILITY OF RESULTS. QUESTIONNAIRE RESPONSES ARE DETAILED BY COUNTRY, AND A BIBLIOGRAPHY IS PROVIDED. (RCB)