The report concludes that most of the overcrowding problem seems to be due to a large number of pretrial defendants being held in detention, rather than to an enormous increase in the number of sentenced offenders. Five distinct program concepts are explored as alternatives to jail incarceration: increasing the efficiency in release on recognizance processing, police citation release, prosecutorial and judicial diversion, 10-percent stationhouse bail, and increasing the level of release on recognizance. The most lucrative option may be that of prosecutorial or judicial diversion, which could significantly siphon off lesser offenders into alternative community programs. The report recommends that the State reaffirm the correctional master plan policy of diversion of lesser offenders from the criminal justice system into the community and that the State legislature place high priority upon the development of diversionary programs in Hawaii. Furthermore, the intake service center should be encouraged and supported in its efforts to work with the judiciary, police, and others to develop and implement diversionary programs. Additional construction called for under the correctional master plan requirements should be minimized until alternative programs to incarceration are implemented and tested. Finally, each of the criminal justice agencies in the State of Hawaii should consider jail overcrowding as a systemwide problem that is not restricted to the corrections division. One figure, tables, footnotes, and approximately 30 references are included. Statutes from Hawaii and California are appended.