The opening statement by the committee chairman cited several research studies which found that many habitual offenders are never prosecuted and noted that this problem was first identified over 50 years ago. A U.S. Representative briefly described the legislation which would establish within thhe LEAA an Office of Repeat Offenders Prosecution Projects to provide technical assistance to local governments and increase prison facilities. An attorney then related his activities in developing the first Federal career criminal program in 1974, based on a system tried in the District of Columbia, and emphasized the importance of caseload management techniques. The recordkeeping technology known as PROMIS which LEAA is financing for local district attorneys throughout the country was described by the president of the Institute for Law and Social Research. This system helps to identify habitual offenders immediately upon arrest and could be used to improve management of witnesses as well as the fairness of bail and sentencing decisions. Statistical data and activities of the highly successful Operation Doorstop, the career criminal project initiated in the District of Columbia in 1976, were summarized by the U.S. District Attorney for that city. District attorneys from Texas, Oregon, Maryland, and Indiana supported LEAA's career criminal program and described how the concept had been implemented in their jurisdictions. Finally a LEAA official detailed the successes of several career criminal projects and discussed funding practices. Statements were submitted for the record by other U.S. Senators and the National Rifle Association. Additonal information on the career criminal programs in Maryland and the District of Columbia is appended, along with the texts of the proposed legislation, articles on habitual offenders, and legal background materials for the career criminal program. For the text of the act and other materials in the apppendix, see NCJ 72610-13.