THE PROJECT WAS CONCEIVED IN 1970 IN ORDER TO GATHER IDEAS AND EXPERIENCES FOR A NEW TREATMENT-ORIENTED CORRECTIONAL PROCEDURE IN WEST GERMANY. THIS PROCEDURE WAS BASED ON THE ASSUMPTION THAT SOCIALLY DESTRUCTIVE BEHAVIOR IS A RESULT OF PSYCHOLOGICAL DEVIATIONS; THEREFORE, SUCCESSFUL THERAPEUTIC TREATMENT SHOULD ALSO HAVE A POSITIVE EFFECT ON RECIDIVISM. THE CANDIDATES FOR THE PROGRAM WERE SELECTED FROM THE MALE PRISON POPULATION OF A GERMAN STATE; THEY HAD TO BE BETWEEN 24 AND 39 YEARS OF AGE AND WILLING TO DEVOTE 12-18 MONTHS TO THE THERAPY. OF THE 62 CANDIDATES FINALLY CHOSEN, 33 CONVICTS WERE ASSIGNED AT RANDOM TO THE THERAPY GROUP, AND 29 TO A CONTROL GROUP WHICH RECEIVED NO TREATMENT. FROM THE BEGINNING, THE PROBLEMS THE EXPERIMENT FACED WERE CONSIDERABLE: (1) LACK OF KNOWLEDGE CONCERNING THE CANDIDATES' NEED FOR TREATMENT, (2) EXCLUSION OF PARTICIPANTS DURING THERAPY BECAUSE OF ADMINISTRATIVE PROBLEMS, AND (3) CHANGES IN THE TREATMENT ITSELF DUE TO ORGANIZATIONAL AND POLITICAL DIFFICULTIES. TO TEST THE SUCCESS OF THE THERAPY, THE CANDIDATES WERE GIVEN THE SAME PERSONALITY TESTS AT THE BEGINNING AND THE END OF TREATMENT. BECAUSE OF SEVERAL STATISTICAL PROBLEMS (E.G. ERRORS IN MEASURING), THE RESULTING CHARTS DO NOT WARRANT ANY FAR-REACHING INTERPRETATIONS. HOWEVER, THE PARTICIPANTS IN THERAPY DID TEND TO SHOW GREATER EMOTIONAL STABILITY IN COMPARISON TO THE CONTROL GROUP AND THEIR OWN EARLIER TESTS. THE RESULTS OF A STUDY OF RECIDIVISM 3-4 YEARS AFTER THE TERMINATION OF THE PROGRAM PROVED TO BE FAR MORE CONCLUSIVE: THE NUMBER OF TREATED PRISONERS WHO REMAINED FREE OF CRIME WAS SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER THAN THAT OF THE CONTROL GROUP (50 PERCENT TO 33.3 PERCENT). DESPITE THE RECENT TREND IN CRIMINAL POLICY TO RETURN TO THE CONVENTIONAL PRISON, SOCIOTHERAPEUTIC INSTITUTIONS DESERVE SUPPORT TO CONTINUE TREATMENT AND DEVELOP NEW METHODS OF EMPIRICAL RESEARCH. THE STATISTICAL CHARTS ARE INCLUDED. --IN GERMAN. (SAJ)