The failure of prison administrators to develop adequate programs and services for inmates within their institutions has long been of concern to citizen reform groups, but to be influential in corrections policymaking, citizen proposals must reflect an appreciation of the 'real' world of corrections, or corrections staff and administrators will view such proposals as idealistic and unfeasible. Because of the frequency of this circumstance, corrections personnel generally hold little regard for reformers who have little expertise or experience in correctional matters. Reformers who realistically examine their efforts will attempt to overcome the constraints that hamper their efforts, namely, their limited experience within the correctional environment. To get the attention of correctional administrators, reformers must first demonstrate that they understand the world of the correctional administrator and the problems that must be faced in the implementation of particular reform proposals. Four footnotes are provided.