RELEASED OFFENDERS HAD SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER OVERALL RECIDIVISM RATES THAN EX-MENTAL PATIENTS RELEASED TO THE ALBANY COUNTY, NEW YORK, AREA FOR BOTH 1968 AND 1975. LIKEWISE, FORMER PATIENTS HAD HIGHER RATES OF ARREST THAN THE GENERAL POPULATION FOR BOTH YEARS. THE 1968 EX-OFFENDER SAMPLE'S ARREST RATE PER 1,000 WAS 267.8, COMPARED WITH THE EX-PATIENT RATE OF 77.9 PER 1,000 AND THE GENERAL POPULATION RATE OF 17.5 PER 1,000. EX-OFFENDERS IN 1975 HAD A 695.0 PER 1,000 GENERAL POPULATION RATE. THE STUDY WAS COMPOSED OF ALL PERSONS RELEASED IN ALBANY COUNTY, NEW YORK, IN 1975 AND 1968 FROM STATE MENTAL HOSPITALS AND FROM THE STATE PRISONS OR THE COUNTY JAIL. MENTAL PATIENT GROUPS NUMBERED 307 AND 204; OFFENDERS NUMBERED 167 AND 252. THE STUDY FOUND THAT SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER PROPORTIONS OF RELEASED PATIENTS AND EX-OFFENDERS RECIDIVATE IF THEY ARE YOUNG AND HAVE MULTIPLE PRIOR ARRESTS. FOR RELEASED PATIENTS, PRIOR ARREST WAS MORE STRONGLY ASSOCIATED WITH SUBSEQUENT ARREST THAN AGE, BUT FOR OFFENDERS, AGE WAS MORE STRONGLY RELATED THAN PRIOR ARRESTS. THE FINDINGS HAVE IMPLICATIONS FOR DIFFERENTIAL POLICIES FOR DETENTION IN CORRECTIONAL AND MENTAL HEALTH SYSTEMS. PRESENT POLICY JUSTIFICATIONS FOR DIFFERENTIAL RELEASE STATUTES FOR OFFENDERS AND PATIENTS ARE NOT SUPPORTED BY FINDINGS BUT ALIGNED TO LONG-STANDING PUBLIC ATTITUDES TOWARD DIFFERENTIAL FORMS OF COERCIVE CONTROL FOR MENTAL PATIENTS AND FOR OFFENDERS. STEREOTYPE RATHER THAN EMPIRICAL FACT APPEARS TO DOMINATE PUBLIC POLICY. TABLES AND 12 REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED.