PROVISION OF HEALTH CARE IN CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTIONS ENTAILS PROBLEMS NOT FOUND IN HEALTH SERVICES OUTSIDE PRISON WALLS. COMMON PRESCRIPTIONS ARE RIGIDLY CONTROLLED, RECRUITMENT OF QUALIFIED PERSONNEL IS DIFFICULT, AND PROFESSIONALS MUST COMPETE FOR NEEDED RESOURCES IN ORGANIZATIONS WHERE HEALTH CARE IS SECONDARY. INFORMATION SYSTEMS ARE NEEDED TO HELP GENERATE OPERATIONAL INFORMATION (E.G., LISTS OF PATIENTS WITH DEFINED CHRONIC CONDITIONS). IN ADDITION, MANAGEMENT INFORMATION IS NEEDED TO SUPPORT CONTINUOUS MONITORING OF PROGRAM IMPROVEMENTS. THIS MANUAL, DEVELOPED BY THE MICHIGAN DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS UNDER AN LEAA GRANT, FOCUSES ON CONCEPTS OF INFORMATION SYSTEMS AND DEFINES INFORMATION AND DATA REQUIREMENTS SUCH AS METHODS FOR SPECIFYING MANAGEMENT INFORMATION REQUIREMENTS AND STANDARDS FOR USE IN PERFORMANCE MONITORING. IT DESCRIBES MANUAL MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEMS AND PROVIDES EXAMPLES OF COMPUTER-BASED SYSTEMS. REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED AT THE END OF EACH CHAPTER. FORMS AND DOCUMENTATION FOR A MANUAL INFORMATION SYSTEM ARE APPENDED.