THE INSTITUTION POPULATION OF THE CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS ON JUNE 30, 1978, IS REPORTED TO BE 19,506 MEN AND 1,123 WOMEN. FELONS EXCLUDED FROM THE REPORT ARE THOSE STILL IN THE RECEPTION CENTER OR IN THE CONTROLLED SUBSTANCES TREATMENT CONTROL UNITS, ALONG WITH OTHER PERSONS AS NOTED IN THE REPORT. FOUR OFFENSE GROUPS ACCOUNTED FOR 73.6 PERCENT OF THE MALE FELON POPULATION: ROBBERY, 29.7 PERCENT; HOMICIDE, 18.1 PERCENT; BURGLARY, 14.5 PERCENT; AND CONTROLLED SUBSTANCES AND MARIHUANA, 11.3 PERCENT. FOUR OFFENSE CATEGORIES ACCOUNTED FOR 72.8 PERCENT OF THE FEMALE FELON POPULATION: CONTROLLED SUBSTANCES AND MARIHUANA, 23.8 PERCENT; HOMICIDE, 18.6 PERCENT; ROBBERY, 16.5 PERCENT; AND FORGERY AND CHECKS, 13.9 PERCENT. THE PERCENTAGE DISTRIBUTION OF MALE FELONS BY ETHNIC GROUP ON JUNE 30, 1978 WAS 42.4 WHITE, 34.1 PERCENT BLACK, AND 21.6 PERCENT MEXICAN-AMERICAN. FOR FEMALE FELONS THE ETHNIC DISTRIBUTION WAS 46.3 PERCENT WHITE, 36.0 PERCENT BLACK, AND 15.1 PERCENT MEXICAN-AMERICAN. THE MEDIAN AGE OF THE PRISON POPULATION WAS 28.7 YEARS FOR MEN AND 29.5 YEARS FOR WOMEN. OVER 80 PERCENT OF THE MEN AND 90 PERCENT OF THE WOMEN HAD NOT BEEN ON PAROLE SINCE COMMITMENT. APPROXIMATELY ONE-HALF OF THE POPULATION HAD A PRIOR COMMITMENT RECORD; OF THESE 48.4 PERCENT ARE MEN AND 52.7 PERCENT ARE WOMEN. ON JUNE 30, 1978, 45 MEN AND 2 WOMEN WERE UNDER DEATH SENTENCE; THOSE SERVING LIFE SENTENCES ACCOUNTED FOR 10.7 PERCENT OF THE MEN AND 7.9 PERCENT OF THE WOMEN. SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA COUNTIES SENTENCED OVER ONE-HALF OF THE PERSONS IN PRISON, WITH APPROXIMATELY ONE-THIRD OF THE POPULATION COMMITTED FROM LOS ANGELES COUNTY, ONE-FOURTH FROM THE SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA, AND ONE-FIFTH FROM THE REST OF THE STATE. STATISTICS ARE PRESENTED IN TABULAR FORM. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED -- RCB)