THE DATA REPRESENT THE STATE PRISON SYSTEM AS OF DECEMBER 31, 1977. OF MALE FELONS, 29.5 PERCENT WERE COMMITTED FOR ROBBERY, 18.6 PERCENT WERE COMMITTED FOR HOMICIDE, 14 PERCENT FOR BURGLARY, AND 11.9 PERCENT FOR CONTROLLED SUBSTANCES/MARIJUANA OFFENSES. CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE/MARIJUANA OFFENSES ACCOUNTED FOR 26 PERCENT OF THE FEMALE FELON POPULATION, HOMICIDE FOR 18.8 PERCENT AND ROBBERY FOR 15.0 PERCENT. ETHNIC/RACIAL DISTRIBUTION OF THE MALE FELON INMATE POPULATION WAS 43.1 PERCENT WHITE, 34 PERCENT BLACK, AND 21.1 MEXICAN-AMERICAN. FOR FEMALES, THE DISTRIBUTION WAS 47.9 PERCENT WHITE, 34.8 PERCENT BLACK, AND 15.2 PERCENT MEXICAN-AMERICAN. THE MEDIAN AGE FOR MALES WAS 28.8 WITH ONE-FOURTH BEING UNDER 25 YEARS OLD, WHILE FOR WOMEN THE MEDIAN AGE WAS 29.9 WITH 23.6 PERCENT BEING UNDER 25. OF THE MALE FELONS 82.4 PERCENT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED PAROLE SINCE COMMITMENT AND 11.9 PERCENT HAD BEEN PAROLED BUT RETURNED FOR VIOLATION; WHILE 91.5 PERCENT OF THE WOMEN HAD NOT BEEN PAROLED AND 5.6 HAD BEEN RETURNED FOR PAROLE VIOLATION. APPROXIMATELY 50 PERCENT OF BOTH MALE AND FEMALE FELONS HAD EXPERIENCED A PRIOR JAIL OR JUVENILE COMMITMENT; AND 35.3 PERCENT OF THE MEN AND 20 PERCENT OF THE WOMEN HAD SERVED A PRIOR PRISON TERM. OF THE MEN, 11.2 PERCENT WERE UNDER LIFE SENTENCE AS COMPARED TO 7.2 PERCENT OF THE WOMEN. OVER HALF OF THE FELON PRISON POPULATION HAD BEEN COMMITTED FROM SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, WHILE ONEFOURTH HAD BEEN COMMITTED FROM THE SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA. EXTENSIVE TABLES PROVIDE AGE, OFFENSE, RACE/ ETHNICITY, AND SEX INFORMATION BY INSTITUTION. (JAP)