THE TWENTY-THREE PAROLE OFFICER AIDES WERE COMPARED TO A CONTROL GROUP OF PAROLE OFFICERS. THE SEVEN APPROACHES TO EVALUATING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE AIDES INCLUDED AN ATTITUDINAL SURVEY OF PAROLE OFFICERS AND AIDES, IN-DEPTH INTERVIEWS WITH THE AIDES, FIELD OBSERVATION BY STUDENTS, AND SUPERVISORS' RATINGS OF OFFICERS AND AIDES. OTHER TECHNIQUES EMPLOYED INCLUDE AN ASSESSMENT OF INMATE ATTITUDES TOWARD THE PROGRAM, EVALUATIONS OF OFFICERS AND AIDES BY PAROLEES, AND A SURVEY OF STATE DIRECTORS OF CORRECTIONS TO DETERMINE THEIR ATTITUDES TOWARD PROGRAMS OF A SIMILAR NATURE. THE RECIDIVISM RATES FOR AIDES' AND PAROLE OFFICERS' CASELOADS, MEASURED IN 1974, INDICATED THAT THOSE CLIENTS SUPERVISED BY AIDES HAD SIGNIFICANTLY LESS FAILURES IN EVERY CATEGORY THAN DID CLIENTS OF PAROLE OFFICERS. AIDE PERFORMANCES WERE DEEMED EQUALLY EFFECTIVE WHEN COMPARED TO PAROLE OFFICERS. AS A RESULT, THE OHIO PAROLE AUTHORITY HIRED ADDITIONAL AIDES AND BROADENED THEIR RESPONSIBILITIES.