CRIMINAL JUSTICE OFFICIALS ARE ATTEMPTING TO REDEFINE THE PURPOSE OF PRISONS. WHETHER PRISONS ARE FOR PUNISHMENT, REHABILITATION, OR SOME OTHER PURPOSE IS UNCLEAR, BUT THE DISTINCT EFFECT OF PRISON IS PUNITIVE. EFFECTIVE CRIME PREVENTION, HOWEVER, MANDATES THAT OFFENDERS LEAVE THE PRISON AS BETTER PERSONS THAN THEY WERE WHEN THEY ENTERED. PRISONS CANNOT COMPEL SELF-IMPROVEMENT, BUT THEY CAN OFFER PROGRAMS BY WHICH OFFENDERS LEARN ALTERNATIVE LIFESTYLES. INMATES CAN BE EXPOSED TO CONSTRUCTIVE ACTIVITIES AND MORAL GUIDANCE. EDUCATION CAN BE OFFERED IN PROGRAM PACKAGES WHICH BRING PRISONERS TO HIGH SCHOOL LEVELS AND BEYOND AND WHICH TEACH MARKETABLE SKILLS THAT ENABLE OFFENDERS TO BECOME USEFUL CITIZENS UPON RELEASE. BUT SUCCESSFUL ADJUSTMENT TO THE COMMUNITY REQUIRES EFFECTIVE ASSISTANCE FROM THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM. THE CONCEPT OF REHABILITATION IS BASED ON THE AVAILABILITY OF CLINICAL PROCEDURES AND PERSONNEL THAT CAN 'CURE' THE CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR OF AN OFFENDER. RESEARCH REPORTS INDICATE, HOWEVER, THAT CLINICAL TREATMENT MAY BE COUNTERPRODUCTIVE IN PREVENTING RECIDIVISM. VOLUNTARY INMATE PROGRAMS MAY BE MORE EFFECTIVE. (TWK)