THE HIGH RECIDIVISM RATES FOR MANY CORRECTIONAL PROGRAMS ARE POINTED OUT, AND THE QUESTION IS RAISED OF WHETHER PRISON AMENITIES -- PROGRAMS SUCH AS COUNSELING, EDUCATION, RECREATION -- ACTUALLY ENCOURACE INMATES TO ADAPT TO PRISON LIFE. OTHER QUESTIONS CONCERN WHETHER SOME REHABILITATIVE PROGRAMS PROVIDE OFFENDERS WITH SERVICES AND AMENITIES THAT MANY POOR AND MIDDLE-CLASS PEOPLE CANNOT AFFORD, WHETHER INMATES SHOULD BE GIVEN JOB PLACEMENT PRIORITY OVER UNEMPLOYED LAW-ABIDING CITIZENS, AND WHETHER, IN REALITY, INMATES RECEIVE GREATER CONSIDERATION FROM THE GOVERNMENT THAN DO THEIR VICTIMS. A STUDY IS CITED IN WHICH ELDERLY RESIDENTS OF A NURSING HOME WHO WERE GIVEN GREATER CONTROL OVER THEIR OWN LIVES SHOWED SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS IN COMPARISON TO A CONTROL GROUP WHOSE RESPONSIBILITIES WERE MORE LIMITED. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRISON PROGRAMS ARE NOTED. THE REEVALUATION OF REHABILITATIVE MEASURES IS URGED, AS IS THE INTRODUCTION OF MORE WORK-RELEASE AND OTHER COMMUNITY CORRECTIONAL PROGRAMS THAT BRING INMATES INTO THE COMMUNITY AS RESPONSIBLE, PRODUCTIVE PERSONS. (LKM)