RELEASED OFFENDERS AND VOLUNTEER ADVOCATES INCLUDED IN THE STUDY HAD MAINTAINED BIWEEKLY OR MORE FREQUENT CONTACT FOR A 6-MONTH PERIOD AND AGREED TO PARTICIPATE IN THE STUDY. A BATTERY OF PERSONALITY TESTS WERE ADMINISTERED BEFORE AND AFTER THE 6-MONTH PERIOD AND BACKGROUND CHARACTERISTICS WERE ASSESSED FOR BOTH THE OFFENDERS AND THE VOLUNTEERS. THE VOLUNTEERS RANGED IN AGE FROM 19 TO 75 YEARS (MEAN 29.2 YEARS) AND CONSISTED OF 12 MALES AND 22 FEMALES, 31 WHITE AND 3 BLACK. THE OFFENDERS RANGED IN AGE FROM 14 TO 41 YEARS (MEAN 22.4 YEARS) AND CONSISTED OF 35 MALES AND 1 FEMALE, 14 WHITE AND 22 BLACK. THE QUALITY OF THE RELATIONSHIP WAS ASSESSED BY COMBINING THE VOLUNTEER'S AND THE OFFENDER'S RATING. RECIDIVISM RATES WERE ALSO EXAMINED. TABLES SHOW CORRELATIONS BETWEEN VARIOUS PSYCHOLOGICAL AND BACKGROUND FACTORS AND OUTCOME OF THE RELATIONSHIP. IT WAS FOUND THAT VOLUNTEERS WHO ARE MOST LIKELY TO BE SUCCESSFUL HAVE HAD PREVIOUS TRAINING IN COUNSELING AND CORRECTIONS, HAVE AT LEAST A BACHELOR'S DEGREE AND PREFERABLY EDUCATION BEYOND, HAVE ANNUAL INCOMES BETWEEN $8,000 AND $10,000, AND CONSIDER THEIR RELIGIOUS BELIEFS IMPORTANT. SUCCESSFUL OFFENDERS WERE OVER AGE 25, HAD GRADUATED FROM HIGH SCHOOL, AND WERE MARRIED. THE MOST IMPORTANT PERSONALITY CHARACTERISTIC FOR VOLUNTEERS WAS A WILLINGNESS TO TAKE RISKS. SUCCESSFUL OFFENDERS SHOWED ENDURANCE, ACHIEVEMENT STRIVING, LOW AGGRESSION, AND WILLINGNESS TO TAKE RISKS. THESE ARE THE OFFENDERS MOST LIKELY TO SUCCEED WITH OR WITHOUT AN ADVOCATE. IT IS SUGGESTED THESE FINDINGS SHOULD GUIDE THE SELECTION OF VOLUNTEERS AND THAT MORE RESEARCH SHOULD BE DONE ON FACTORS BEHIND OFFENDER SUCCESS. SUPPORTING DATA AND REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. (GLR)