THE REGIMES, TO BEGIN IN APRIL 1980, ARE CHARACTERIZED BY PHYSICALLY DEMANDING WORK, EDUCATIONAL AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITIES, DRILL SESSIONS, PARADES, AND INSPECTIONS. ALL ACTIVITIES WILL BE CARRIED OUT AT A MUCH BRISKER TEMPO. THE INTRODUCTION OF THE PILOT SCHEMES AT THE TWO CENTERS WILL NECESSITATE A REVISION OF COMMITTAL AREAS FOR THE COURTS AND MAY LEAD TO THE ADOPTION OF SHORTER MINIMUM SENTENCES FOR DETENTION CENTERS. SHORTER DETENTION SENTENCES (I.E., SHORTENED TO AS LITTLE AS 3 WEEKS) ARE BEING CONSIDERED AS PART OF THE GOVERNMENT'S REVIEW OF THE WHOLE RANGE OF SENTENCES. THE AIM OF THE TOUGH REGIMES PILOT PROJECT AT SEND AND NEW HALL IS TO ASSESS WHETHER YOUNG OFFENDERS COULD BE EFFECTIVELY DETERRED FROM COMMITTING FURTHER OFFENSES BY SPENDING A RIGOROUS PERIOD OF WEEKS IN A DETENTION CENTER. STUDIES TO CORROBORATE THIS HYPOTHESIS HAVE BEEN MANDATED BY THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT. HOWEVER, ONE STUDY HAS SHOWN THAT FOUR-FIFTHS OF TRAINEES IN A DETENTION CENTER LEFT THE CENTER WITH LOWER ASPIRATIONS THAN ON ARRIVAL, SUGGESTING THAT THEY WILL BE MORE LIKELY TO COMMIT OFFENSES. FOR SCOTLAND'S GLENOCHIL DETENTION CENTER, CITED AS THE MODEL FOR THE NEW REGIMES, THERE HAVE BEEN NO SERIOUS STUDIES OF RECONVICTION RATES TO SHOW WHETHER OR NOT THE REGIMES ARE EFFECTIVE. OFFENDERS TO BE CHOSEN FOR THE NEW REGIMES WILL MOST PROBABLY BE FIRST AND SECOND OFFENDERS IN ORDER TO STOP THEM EARLY IN THEIR CAREERS. CONCERN HAS BEEN EXPRESSED THAT THESE YOUNG PEOPLE WILL BE GOING TO PENAL INSTITUTIONS BEFORE NONCUSTODIAL METHODS HAVE BEEN TRIED AND THAT PHYSICALLY AND MENTALLY DISADVANTAGED YOUTHS WILL BE SENT TO THE CENTERS WHERE PROVISIONS FOR THEM HAVE NOT BEEN MADE. HOWEVER, EFFORTS ARE BEING MADE TO DIVERT THE DISADVANTAGED FROM THE CENTERS AND TO CONTINUE TO DEVELOP MORE ALTERNATIVES TO INSTITUTIONALIZATION, SUCH AS COMMUNITY SERVICES AND RESIDENTIAL ACCOMMODATION. REFERENCES (16 ITEMS) ARE PROVIDED.