RUDOLPH MOOS USED THE CIES TO EVALUATE THE SOCIAL ENVIRONMENTS OF VARIOUS INSTITUTIONAL AND COMMUNITY-BASED PROGRAMS. NINE DIMENSIONS OR SUBSCALES WERE IDENTIFIED AS CRUCIAL, DISTINGUISHABLE FEATURES OF CORRECTIONAL PROGRAMS; INVOLVEMENT, SUPPORT, AUTONOMY, EXPRESSIVENESS, PERSONAL PROBLEM ORIENTATION, PRACTICAL ORIENTATION, PROGRAM CLARITY, ORDER AND ORGANIZATION, AND SOCIAL CONTROL. TO TEST THE VALIDITY OF THESE NINE FEATURES, CIES QUESTIONNAIRES WERE ADMINISTERED TO RESIDENTS AT SIX COMMUNITY-BASED CORRECTIONAL CENTERS WHICH WERE PART OF A LARGE STATE CORRECTIONAL SYSTEM. A TOTAL OF 108 USABLE QUESTIONNAIRES WERE OBTAINED. STUDY RESULTS RAISE DOUBT ABOUT WHETHER THE CIES QUESTIONNAIRE ACTUALLY FULFILLS MOOS' CLAIMS. FOUR RATHER THAN NINE DIMENSIONS WERE IDENTIFIED: ORGANIZATIONAL COHENSION, ORGANIZATIONAL UNCERTAINTY (THE DEGREE TO WHICH INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE TO ALL ORGANIZATIONAL MEMBERS CONCERNING THE POLICIES AND OPERATIONS OF THE ORGANIZATION), ORGANIZATIONAL COMMITMENT (THE DEGREE TO WHICH ORGANIZATIONAL MEMBERS ARE BOUND TO THE ORGANIZATION, ITS MEMBERS, AND ITS MISSION), AND STAFF SUPPORT AND ENCOURAGEMENT. WHILE THERE ARE A NUMBER OF STUDY LIMITATIONS, THE RESULTS INDICATE THE DANGERS OF BLIND ACCEPTANCE OF PREVIOUSLY DEVELOPED SCALES WITHOUT ADEQUATE RELIABILITY AND VALIDITY ANALYSIS. TABULAR DATA AND REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED. (RCB)