Within the spectrum of day centers ranging from the highly structured day training centers involving statutory attendance and the teaching of social and vocational skills to informal 'drop-in' centers offering basic facilities of warmth, shelter, and companionship, Centre 81 is akin to the latter type of center. Study findings are based on the views of a sample of 25 clients and five maingrade officers interviewed in June and July 1982. Ten of the clients were asked to rank a series of social work and penological concepts according to their views of Centre 81. All five officers completed the same form. A semi-structured questionnaire was also administered to substantiate the rankings. The perceptions of officers and clients overlapped so as to present a common perspective of the center's aims. Ranked in order, the perceptions of clients and officers of center aims were (1) help-care orientation (help, care, companionship, and friendship), (2) soft-control (control and containment), and (3) hard-control (punishment and retribution). Clients frequently contrasted the day center atmosphere with the brutalizing experience of prison. The center atmosphere has encouraged clients to talk over their problems with the officers; however, both clients and officers express frustration at not being able to change some of the external factors obstructing community adjustment for the clients, such as the inability to find employment. Both clients and officers perceived that the center program did little to change such circumstances. Thirty references are listed.