IT PROVIDES AN EXAMINATION OF THE INTERORGANIZATIONAL AND INTERAGENCY NETWORKS THAT ARE COORDINATED FOR THE ACCOMPLISHMENT OF CORRECTIONAL PROGRAMS AND GOALS, AND THE MAJOR VARIABLES, STRUCTURAL CHARACTERISTICS, AND BELIEFS THAT ARE CRUCIAL TO THE CREATION AND STABILIZATION OF DESERVED CHANGE IN THE CORRECTIONAL SYSTEM. THE DISCUSSION IN MOST CASES OPERATES ON TWO DISTINCT LEVELS. ON ONE LEVEL THE AUTHORS DESCRIBE THE PRESENT NATURE OF THE OPERATION OF THE CORRECTIONAL SYSTEM. ON ANOTHER LEVEL, THE AUTHORS DESCRIBE THE CHANGES IN THE SYSTEM THAT APPEAR NECESSARY IF CORRECTIONAL ORGANIZATIONS ARE TO ACCOMPLISH CERTAIN GOALS THAT ARE CURRENTLY SEEN AS DESIRABLE OR THAT ARE LIKELY TO BECOME PARAMOUNT IN THE NEXT TEN TO TWENTY YEARS. THE TEXT FIRST OUTLINES THE CORRECTIONAL PROCESS AND THE PRECORRECTION PHASES OF THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM IN TERMS OF HOW THE ORGANIZATION OF POLICE AND COURT AGENCIES INFLUENCE THE NATURE OF CORRECTIONAL INTAKE. SPECIFIC ASPECTS OF CORRECTIONS ARE THEN EXAMINED, INCLUDING SENTENCING, INSTITUTIONS, PROBATION, PAROLE, AND COMMUNITY-BASED CORRECTIONS. A COMPREHENSIVE SYNTHESES OF CORRECTIONAL POLICY, PROGRAMMING, AND ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE IS ALSO PRESENTED. THE POLICIES, PROGRAMS, AND ORGANIZATIONAL VARIATIONS OF CORRECTIONS ARE RELATED AS PARALLEL TRACKS UNDER FOUR GENERIC POLICY TYPES. FINALLY, THE DISCUSSION MOVES FROM THE POLICY AND PROGRAM LEVEL TO AN INVESTIGATION OF MODELS OF THE TOTAL CRIMINAL JUSTICE PROCESS AND RELATED THE PROJECTED CONSEQUENCES OF THE FUTURE OF CORRECTIONS TO TWO VERY DISTINCT SYSTEM MODELS. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED) (SNI ABSTRACT)