THIS REPORT WAS FUNDED BY THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF CORRECTION AS PART OF A BROADER EVALUATION OF THE FURLOUGH PROGRAM. A TWENTY-PERCENT SAMPLE OF ALL REGULAR PAROLEES RELEASED IN OHIO DURING 1975 AND 1976 WAS SELECTED FOR THE STUDY (A TOTAL OF 1,490 INDIVIDUALS); THIS LARGE SAMPLE WAS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE RELIABLE STATISTICS. SUBJECTS WERE CHOSEN FROM ALL INSTITUTIONS AND FROM THE CATEGORIES OF SHOCK PAROLE RELEASE, FIRST HEARING, CONTINUED HEARING, AND SPECIAL REVIEW. IN ORDER TO COMPLETE THE PICTURE FOR ALL PAROLEES, INFORMATION WAS INCLUDED ON THE WHOLE POPULATION OF FURLOUGH RELEASES IN ADDITION TO THE SURVEY POPULATION. THE FIRST PART OF THIS STUDY DESCRIBES PAROLEES IN TERMS OF PERSONAL CHARACTERRISTICS (I.E., SEX, ETHNICITY, COUNTY OF COMMITMENT, AGE AT ADMISSION AND RELEASE, MARITAL AND EMPLOYMENT STATUS AT ARREST, AND CLAIMED HIGHEST GRADE COMPLETED IN SCHOOL); AND CRIMINAL HISTORIES (I.E., NATURE OF COMMITMENT OFFENSE, PRIOR FELONY CONVICTIONS, PRIOR IMPRISONMENT, JUVENILE CRIMINAL HISTORY, PRIOR SUPERVISION VIOLATIONS, AND HISTORY OF DRUG AND ALCOHOL ABUSE). THE SECOND PART OF THE REPORT DESCRIBES HOW THE PAROLEES UNDER STUDY PERFORMED ON PAROLE DURING ONE YEAR AND BY PAROLE COMPLETION. THE MATERIAL IN THE FIRST TWO SECTIONS IS ALMOST EXCLUSIVELY DESCRIPTIVE IN NATURE. THE THIRD SECTION EXAMINES WHICH VARIABLES, RELATED TO PAROLE SUCCESS AND FAILURE, WHICH ARE CONSIDERED IN THE PAROLE BOARD DECISIONMAKING PROCESS, AND WHICH ARE LIKELY TO DETERMINE PAROLE OUTCOME. THEY APPEAR TO BE NATURE OF COMMITTING OFFENSE (ESPECIALLY WHETHER VIOLENCE WAS INVOLVED); EXISTENCE OF A JUVENILE CRIMINAL HISTORY; PRIOR PROBATION OR PAROLE VIOLATIONS; NUMBER OF PRIOR ADULT FELONY INCARCERATIONS. SUBSTANCE ABUSE, SEX, ETHNIC BACKGROUND, AND COUNTY OF COMMITMENT WERE FOUND TO HAVE LITTLE OR NO INFLUENCE ON THE PAROLE BOARDS' DECISIONS, AND ARE CONSIDERED ONLY IN CORRELATION WITH THE OTHER VARIABLES. NOT SURPRISINGLY, PERSONS PLACED ON PAROLE AT THEIR FIRST PAROLE HEARING HAVE A HIGHER SUCCESS RATE THAN THOSE RELEASED AT CONTINUED HEARINGS, SINCE PAROLE BOARDS CONDUCT ACCURATE SCREENING OF PROSPECTIVE PAROLEES. STATISTICAL AND TABULAR DATA ARE PROVIDED IN THE TEXT.