Contrary to popular opinion, both State and Federal correctional systems have success rates of 60 to 70 percent. Moreover, the Federal prison's success rate has increased since 1970 and the introduction of functional unit management. This approach divides a 500-bed prison into 100-inmate units, permitting differential allocation of resources, fewer control problems, and opportunities for relationships to develop within units. The medical model views inmates as passive recipients of correctional programs, whereas the more realistic training approach tries to help inmates identify their deficits, fill in these gaps, and learn alternative ways of responding to pressures of living in the free community. These ideas are incorporated into Norval Morris' model which was implemented by the Federal prison in Butler, N.C., using 'deep end' male prisoners who had at least two convictions for violent crime. Prisoners and staff developed a graduated release plan which scheduled the time when increased levels of liberty and personal responsibility would be granted. Participants had assigned work and the option to participate in other educational or recreational programs. They only had to comply with certain rules of behavior to progress toward release. Prisoners, staff, and visitors moved freely within a secure perimeter. Most prisoners were released through halfway houses. Using a control group, a 3-year evaluation found that the Butler prisoners had no escapes, no killings, relatively few serious assaults, and no mass protests. They also had a significantly higher rate of program enrollments and completions than their control counterparts. These results suggest that a softer approach may work better with some troublesome inmates than traditional hardline tactics. The article contains 4 footnotes and 22 references.