DATA WAS COLLECTED FOR 1973 THROUGH 1976, USING MONTHLY STATISTICAL REPORTS FROM THE MISSISSIPPI STATE PENITENTIARY, AN INDICTMENT ANALYSIS FROM THE MISSISSIPPI JUDICIAL COUNCIL, AND CURRENT POPULATION REPORTS FROM THE U.S. BUREAU OF CENSUS. THE STUDY USED REGRESSION ANALYSIS SO THAT ONE VARIABLE CAN BE PREDICTED FROM ANOTHER. ASSUMING THAT STATE POPULATION AND NUMBER OF INDICTMENTS WILL INCREASE ON A LINEAR BASIS, POPULATION WAS FOUND TO BE INCREASING AT A DECREASING RATE WHEN PROJECTING ANNUAL INMATE POPULATION FOR 1978 THROUGH 1981. GRAPHS SHOW THAT THE INMATE POPULATION WILL INCREASE FROM APPROXIMATELY 1880 TO 2480 FROM 1978 THROUGH 1981. THIS INFORMATION WILL BE USED FOR MORE EFFECTIVE PLANNING FOR FUTURE INMATE HOUSING REQUIREMENTS AS WELL AS OTHER AREAS OF CORRECTIONAL PLANNING. GRAPHS AND TABLES ARE INCLUDED.