IT FOCUSES ON HOW THIS HALFWAY HOUSE BEGAN AND ON ASPECTS OF ITS PROGRAM AND ALSO EVALUATES ITS OUTCOME AFTER THREE YEARS. HAMILTON HOUSE IS AFFFILIATED WITH CLIFTON T. PERKINS HOSPITAL CENTER, A MAXIMUM SECURITY STATE HOSPITAL SERVING MALE MENTALLY ILL OFFENDERS IN MARYLAND. A NUMBER OF GUIDING PRICIPLES ARE DISCUSSED IN CONNECTION WITH THE CARE OF THIS HIGH-RISK POPULATION. PARTIAL RESIDENCE FOR THOSE ABOUT TO BE DISCHARGED FROM THE HOSPITAL WAS ONE FEATURE OF THE PROGRAM. EVALUATION OF THE PROGRAM AFTER THREE YEARS SHOWED A LOWER THAN AVERAGE RATE OF RECIDIVISM AND RELATIVELY LOW OPERATING COSTS; IN ADDITION, IT APPEARED THAT PREDICTIONS REGARDING POSSIBLE DANGEROUSNESS CAN BE MADE WITH GREATER CONFIDENCE WHEN HALFWAY HOUSE RESIDENCE IS PART OF THE TREATMENT PLAN FOR THIS TYPE OF POPULATION. REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT)