RESEARCHERS USED A SAMPLE OF 884 OFFENDERS COMMITTED IN 1977 AND 715 COMMITMENTS FOR THE FIRST THREE QUARTERS OF 1978, OBTAINING SENTENCE DATA FROM THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS' SYSTEMS DEVELOPMENT COMPUTER FILES. THESE NUMBERS INCLUDE STATE PRISONERS IN COUNTY JAILS; ONLY THOSE OFFENSES WITH AT LEAST 15 OFFENDERS WERE USED. IN 1977 RECIDIVISTS HAD SHORTER AVERAGE SENTENCE LENGTHS ONLY IN CATEGORIES WITH A LOW NUMBER OF OFFENDERS: FORGERY AND SALE OF MARIJUANA; IN 1978 RECIDIVISTS HAD SHORTER AVERAGE SENTENCE LENGTHS FOR MANSLAUGHTERS, MURDER, AND SALE OF DANGEROUS DRUGS. AVERAGE SENTENCE LENGTHS FOR FIRST OFFENDERS DECREASED IN 1978 AND 1977 FOR AGGRAVATED ASSAULT, BURGLARY, FORGERY, LARCENY, ROBBERY, MANSLAUGHTER, POSSESSION OF DRUGS, SALE OF DANGEROUS DRUGS, AND SALE OF MARIHUANA, WHILE THERE WAS AN INCREASE IN SENTENCE LENGTH FOR UTTERING FORGERY. AVERAGE SENTENCE LENGTHS FOR RECIDIVISTS DECREASED IN 1978 FOR AGGRAVATED ASSAULT, BURGLARY, LARCENY, MANSLAUGHTER, SALE OF DANGEROUS DRUGS, AND SALE OF MARIHUANA, WHILE THERE WERE INCREASES FOR FORGERY AND ROBBERY. SENTENCE LENGTHS FOR ALL OFFENDERS DECREASED IN 1978 FOR AGGRAVATED ASSAULT, BURGLARY, LARCENY, MANSLAUGHTER, SALE OF DANGEROUS DRUGS, AND SALE OF MARIHUANA, WHILE OVERALL AVERAGE SENTENCE LENGTHS TEND TO BE DECREASING FROM 1977 TO 1978. TABLES ARE INCLUDED.