WORK AND TRAINING RELEASE IS INTENDED TO PROMOTE THE SUCCESSFUL REENTRY INTO SOCIETY OF PERSONS RELEASED FROM PRISON BY PROVIDING VOCATIONAL TRAINING, WORK EXPERIENCE, OR ACADEMIC TRAINING TO IMPROVE EMPLOYABILITY UNDER SUPERVISION DURING THE TRANSITION PERIOD. THE PROGRAM IS DESIGNED TO HELP THE RELEASEES MAKE A GOOD START WHILE, AT THE SAME TIME, ENSURING PUBLIC SAFETY. THIS STUDY TO DETERMINE WHETHER THE PROGRAM IN THE STATE OF WASHINGTON IS MEETING THESE GOALS COMPARED THE PAROLE SUCCESS RATES OF WORK RELEASEES AND A CONTROL GROUP OF THOSE WHO WERE APPROVED BUT DID NOT PARTICIPATE IN WORK RELEASE FROM JULY 1971 TO JUNE 1973. THE COMPARISONS INDICATED THAT WORK RELEASE PARTICIPATION IS ASSOCIATED WITH PAROLE SUCCESS FOR THOSE CONVICTED OF PROPERTY CRIMES, BUT NOT FOR THOSE CONVICTED OF OTHER CRIMES. FIRST OFFENDERS DID NOT APPEAR TO SIGNIFICANTLY BENEFIT FROM THE PROGRAM. PERSONS ON PUBLIC ASSISTANCE HAD BETTER PAROLE OUTCOMES AFTER GOING THROUGH THE WORK/RELEASE PROGRAMS, AND OFFENDERS WITH A HISTORY OF DRUG ABUSE WHO PARTICIPATED IN WORK RELEASE HAD BETTER PAROLE OUTCOMES THAN THOSE WHO DID NOT. HOWEVER, THIS LAST RELATIONSHIP DID NOT REACH TRADITIONAL SIGNIFICANCE LEVELS. PROGRAM VARIABLES TENDED TO BE BETTER PREDICTORS OF PAROLE SUCCESS THAN DID INDIVIDUAL CHARACTERISTICS. SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF A WORK RELEASE PROGRAM WAS PREDICTIVE OF PAROLE SUCCESS, AND SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF A COMMUNITY-BASED WORK/RELEASE PROGRAM WAS A BETTER PREDICTOR OF SUCCESS THAN THE COMPLETION OF SUCH A PROGRAM INSIDE A STATE CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTION. ALSO, SMALLER FACILITIES TENDED TO PRODUCE BETTER PAROLE OUTCOMES. WORK RELEASE IS VIEWED AS COST EFFECTIVE WHEN COMPARED TO INSTITUTIONALIZATION. TABLES AND BIBLIOGRAPHY ARE INCLUDED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED---MLC)