THIS PROJECT, TERMED THE FOLLOW-UP STUDY OF STATE TRAINING SCHOOLS, INVOLVED AN ATTEMPT TO OBTAIN DIRECTLY FROM SOME FORMER RESIDENTS OF IOWA'S TWO TRAINING SCHOOLS SOME FEEDBACK OF INFORMATION BASED ON THEIR PERCEPTIONS AND SELF-REPORTS, I.E., THROUGH STRUCTURED PERSONAL INTERVIEWS. IT INVOLVED THE SELECTION OF A SAMPLE OF 200 FORMER RESIDENTS (SELECTED FROM THE FIRSTADMISSIONS OF THE YEARS 1965, 1968, AND 1971), AN ATTEMPT TO LOCATE EACH ONE, AND THE EVENTUAL COMPLETION OF PERSONAL INTERVIEWS WITH 101 OF THESE INDIVIDUALS. WHILE OTHER PREVIOUS ATTEMPTS HAD BEEN MADE TO STUDY FORMER RESIDENTS AND GROUPS OF RESIDENTS, IT WAS THOUGHT THAT AN APPROACH INVOLVING PERSONAL INTERVIEWS WITH A RANDOM SAMPLE OF SUCH INDIVIDUALS MIGHT BE ESPECIALLY WORTHWHILE IN LEARNING ABOUT THEIR POST-RELEASE EXPERIENCE. THIS REPORT CONTAINS AN OVERVIEW OF THE DEMOGRAPHIC AND SOCIAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE YOUTHS STUDIED, AN OVERVIEW OF THE EVALUATION METHODOLOGY, AND A DESCRIPTION OF THE YOUTHS' TRAINING SCHOOL EXPERIENCE. THE RESULTS SHOWED HIGH RECIDIVISM RATES FOR THOSE RELEASED FROM IOWA STATE TRAINING SCHOOLS. OTHER INDICATORS OF PROGRAM SUCCESS, SUCH AS POST-INSTITUTIONAL EMPLOYMENT, EDUCATION, AND INCOME WERE EXAMINED. NO CORRELATION WAS FOUND BETWEEN THESE VARIABLES AND RECIDIVISM. OPINIONS AND PERCEPTIONS OF THE YOUTHS WITH RESPECT TO THE ACADEMIC, VOCATIONAL, HEALTH CENTER, EMPLOYMENT, FAMILY THERAPY, AND RECREATION PROGRAMS OF THE TRAINING SCHOOLS ARE REPORTED, AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR CHANGE MADE BY THE YOUTHS ARE SUMMARIZED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)