The Baltimore center was modeled after the center established in l972 in Montgomery County, Maryland. and considered to be an outstanding program. The Baltimore center structured its program as closely as possible to the Montgomery County model and offered the seven major support components: location in a separate or segregated facility, client supervision, written rules and regulations, uniform screening criteria, program contracts, a system of graduated release, and financial payments. It also included the same treatment components: employment or training release, group and individual counseling, life skills training, and referral to community social service agencies. Evaluation data came from a quasi-experimental design using over 1,000 subjects. Data were analyzed using chi-square tests, t-tests, and bivariate and multivariate analysis. The prerelease center was at least as effective as incarceration regarding recidivism and operated at $28.58 per diem, as opposed to $34.00 for the Baltimore City Jail. Data tables, a 43-item bibliography, and an appendix presenting the study's codebook are included.