THE REPORT HAS THREE SECTIONS. SECTION ONE REPRESENTS A COHERENT OVERALL UNDERSTANDING OF THE PENAL POPULATION IN TERMS OF AGE, OFFENSE, SENTENCE, SOCIOECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS, PREVIOUS CONVICTIONS, PREVIOUS INSTITUTIONAL EXPERIENCE AND TRIAD/GANG MEMBERSHIP. SECTION TWO FOCUSES ON DRUG DEPENDENT PERSONS, OUTLINING A SOCIOECONOMIC PORTRAIT OF THE DRUG ABUSERS AS WELL AS THEIR PATTERN OF DRUG USE, PERIOD OF TIME ADDICTED AND CAUSATION FACTORS. IN BOTH SECTIONS ONE AND TWO, CROSS-TABULATION OF FIGURES IS EMPLOYED WHEREVER APPROPRIATE FOR EASE OF COMPARISON AND ELABORATION ON THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN A NUMBER OF VARIABLES. SECTION THREE PRESENTS COMPARATIVE TABLES FOR 1974 AND 1975, WHICH PROVIDE PERSPECTIVE INTO THE PATTERN OF CRIME AND SENTENCNG PATTERNS. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT)