IT IS CHARGED THAT MANY CRIMINOLOGISTS ARE PANDERING THE PUBLIC IN EITHER ADVOCATING OR SILENTLY ACCEPTING THE BELIEF THAT HARSHER SENTENCES INVOLVING INCARCERATION IS THE MOST EFFECTIVE MEANS OF DETERRING AND REDUCING CRIME. STUDY FINDINGS ARE QUOTED TO SHOW THE SUCH A BELIEF IS UNWARRANTED, AND IT IS INDICATED THAT THE COSTS OF EXPANDING PRISON SPACE WOULD BE PROHIBITIVE. THE FEDERAL PRISON SYSTEM AND MOST STATES ARE PLANNING MASSIVE EXPENDITURES OF FUNDS FOR PRISON CONSTRUCTION BASED UPON PRESENT AND IMMEDIATELY PAST PRISON COUNTS, WITHOUT EXAMINING A WIDE RANGE OF OTHER MATTERS SUCH AS DEMOGRAPHIC FACTORS, UNEMPLOYMENT RATES, CONTEMPLATED CHANGES IN SENTENCING SCHEMES, ECONOMIC FACTORS, AND THE IMPACT OF JUDICIAL INTERVENTION. IT IS SUGGESTED THAT THE STATES MUST FIRST ESTABLISH A CORRECTIONS POLICY BASED ON REALISTIC COST ESTIMATES AND PROGRAM EVALUATIONS BEFORE LAUNCHING INTO COSTLY PROGRAMS BASED ON LITTLE MORE THAN A WAVE OF PUBLIC SENTIMENT. THE MINNESOTA DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS' POLICY-BASED PLANNING EFFORTS ARE CITED AND THE RESULTS OF THESE EFFORTS ARE DESCRIBED. THE MINNESOTA PLANNING COMMITTEE RECOMMENDED THE FOLLOWING: THE DEVELOPMENT OF SMALL, SPECIALIZED, SECURE STATE FACILITIES FOR A TOTAL OF 500 TO 600 INMATES IN EACH INSTITUTION, LEADING TO THE CLOSING OF MOST EXISTING INSTITUTIONS BY 1980; AND EXPANDED FUNDING TO ASSURE THE EFFECTIVE DEVELOPMENT OF NONINSTITUTIONAL COMMUNITY-BASED CORRECTIONAL PROGRAMS, THUS ENABLING SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN INSTITUTIONAL POPULATIONS. ULTIMATE OBJECTIVES ARE SPECIFIED. (RCB)