DISCUSSION OF THE PRETRIAL PROCESS FOCUSES ON RELEASE AND RECOGNIZANCE PROGRAMS MODELED ON THE VERA FOUNDATION'S MANHATTAN BAIL REFORM PROJECT IN NEW YORK CITY. PRETRIAL DIVERSION DISCUSSION CONCENTRATES ON THE ASSESSMENTS BY ABT ASSOCIATES OF BOSTON OF PROGRAMS FUNDED BY THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR AND THE NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION'S RESEARCH APPLIED TO NATIONAL NEEDS (NSF-RANN). ALTHOUGH ABOUT 90 PERCENT OF ALL CRIMINAL CASES ARE RESOLVED THROUGH GUILTY PLEAS INSTEAD OF TRIALS, RESEARCH IS LACKING ON THE PLEA BARGAINING PROCESS AND ITS VARIOUS FORMS. RECENTLY, HOWEVER, THERE HAS BEEN A SPATE OF CAREFULLY DOCUMENTED STUDIES ON PLEA BARGAINING (E.G., A NILECJ-FUNDED STUDY COVERING A NUMBER OF JURISDICTIONS NATIONWIDE). THERE IS NEED TO CLARIFY THE IMPACT OF EXPANDING THE PUBLIC DEFENSE SYSTEM, CHANGES IN PROSECUTOR OFFICES, REFORMING POST-TRIAL PROCESSES (SENTENCING), AND IMPLEMENTING THE FEDERAL SPEEDY TRIAL ACT OF 1974. REASONS FOR FAILURE IN THE DESIGN AND EXECUTION OF EVALUATION RESEARCH ARE CITED: (1) EVALUATION RESEARCH IS USUALLY NOT PART OF EARLY PROGRAM PLANNING; (2) IT IS GIVEN LOW PRIORITY IN THE ALLOCATION OF PROGRAM RESOURCES; (3) IT EMPHASIZES THE FEASIBILITY RATHER THAN THE EFFECTIVENESS OF PROJECTS; AND (4) IT DOES NOT ADEQUATELY ADDRESS NEEDS OF POLICYMAKERS. SUGGESTIONS TO IMPROVE EVALUATION RESEARCH ARE OFFERED. NOTES ARE INCLUDED. (DEP)