Introductory chapters review local government finances, jail managerial strategies, the development of jail objectives and program priorities, and strategies for managing scarce resources. The two jurisdictions -- Benton County, Ore.; and Hampden County, Mass. -- were selected for study because they have operated successfully under reduced budgets, are representative of county jails nationally, and have been known for innovative programs or managerial strategies. The study, conducted in the early 1980's, used structured interviews with jail personnel. Interview questions pertained to forces that affected jail administration, the impact of community attitudes toward the jail, the conditions under which jail services were provided, planning for budget cutbacks, jail management techniques, and jail demographic characteristics. Factors facilitating effective jail operations under budget cutbacks included the promotion of political and community support for jail objectives, policies that maintained minimal jail populations through the use of pretrial release programs, the use of volunteers, the use of other county and State agencies for inmate services, the use of alternative financing, and the use of scientific management principles that yielded cost-effective jail operation. Chapter references, 13 figures, and 18 tables.