THE CHICAGO COOK COUNTY TREATMENT ALTERNATIVES TO STREET CRIME PROJECT (TASC) IS EVALUATED AS PART OF AN OVERALL EVALUATION OF THE LEAA-SPONSORED NATIONAL TASC PROGRAM. THE PROJECT WAS VISITED ON DECEMBER 14-16, 1977, DURING ITS 16TH MONTH OF OPERATION. THE STUDY YEAR, OCTOBER 1, 1976 THROUGH SEPTEMBER 30, 1977, SAW 361 CLIENTS ADMITTED TO TASC; 204 WERE DISCHARGED, AND 222 WERE ACTIVE AT THE END OF THE YEAR. TASC DEALS WITH OFFENDERS 17 YEARS OF AGE OR OLDER, ADDICTED TO ILLEGAL OR ILLICIT DRUGS AS DEFINED BY THE ILLINOIS CONTROLLED SUBSTANCES ACT, ON PROBATION FOR A NONVIOLENT CRIME, WHO HAVE NOT BEEN CHARGED OR CONVICTED OF A CRIME ASSOCIATED WITH DRUG DEALING AND WHO HAVE NOT MORE THAN 1 CONVICTION FOR A CRIME OF VIOLENCE. REFERRALS ARE RECEIVED FROM THE COURTS, PROSECUTORS, CLIENTS' ATTORNEYS, AND CLIENTS THEMSELVES. THE PROJECT IS ORGANIZED INTO: THE COURT UNIT, WHICH PERFORMS SCREENING FUNCTIONS; THE EVALUATION AND DIAGNOSIS UNIT, WHICH MEASURES REHABILITATION POTENTIAL AND REFERS CLIENTS TO DRUG TREATMENT AGENCIES IN THE COMMUNITY; AND THE TRACKING AND MONITORING UNIT, WHICH FOLLOWS CLIENTS THROUGH TREATMENT. ALTHOUGH RECORDS SHOW A LOW RATE OF SUCCESSFULLY DISCHARGED CLIENTS, THIS IS DISCOUNTED AS A MEASURE OF THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE PROJECT SINCE IT IS CONSIDERED THAT INSUFFICIENT TIME HAS ELAPSED FOR THE EARLY NEGATIVE DISCHARGES TO BE OFFSET BY THE MORE LENGTHY SUCCESSFUL TREATMENT CASES. THROUGH OBSERVATION AND INTERVIEWS, THE OPERATIONS OF THE PROJECT AS A WHOLE AND ITS SEPARATE UNITS ARE DEEMED EFFECTIVE AND OF AN UNUSUALLY HIGH QUALITY. THE PERFORMANCE OF THE STAFF IS GIVEN SPECIAL PRAISE. TABLES ON CLIENT CHARACTERISTICS, OUTCOMES, AND PROGRAM COST ARE INCLUDED. APPENDIXES CONTAIN A NUMBER OF FORMS AND DESCRIPTIONS OF OPERATING PROCEDURES RELEVANT TO THE WORK OF TASC. (RCB)