THE DATA ARE AMONG THOSE USED IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF NEW JERSEY'S CORRECTIONAL MASTER PLAN AND ENCOMPASS THE INMATE POPULATIONS OF THE STATE'S CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTIONS FOR MEN, WOMEN, YOUTHFUL OFFENDERS, AND JUVENILES. SEPARATE STATISTICAL PROFILES ARE PRESENTED FOR ALL INMATES ADMITTED TO INSTITUTIONS OVER THE 6-YEAR PERIOD, FOR ALL THOSE DEPARTING DURING THAT PERIOD, AND FOR ALL INMATES RESIDING IN INSTITUTIONS IN THE WEEK OF APRIL 5, 1975. DATA ARE INCLUDED ON SUCH CHARACTERISTICS AS RACE, AGE AT ADMISSION, LEVEL OF EDUCATION, PSYCHIATRIC HISTORY, ALCOHOL AND DRUG USE HISTORY, LEVEL OF INTELLIGENCE, PRISON ACTIVITIES AND SERVICES, AND RECORD OF PREVIOUS INCARCERATION. A SEPARATE SECTION PRESENTS DATA ON LENGTH OF PRISON STAY FOR 26,878 INMATES WHO DEPARTED DURING THE STUDY PERIOD (APPROXIMATELY 80 PERCENT OF ALL DEPARTURES). LENGTH-OF-STAY DATA ARE BROKEN DOWN BY SPECIFIC OFFENSE, BY TYPE OF OFFENSE (PERSONAL OR PROPERTY), AND BY OTHER VARIABLES. A THIRD SECTION DEVELOPS PROJECTIONS OF BEDSPACE NEEDS, PRESENTING DATA ON BEDSPACE CAPACITIES AND NEEDS DURING 1976; PAST TRENDS IN ADMISSIONS, LENGTH OF STAY, AND RESIDENT POPULATION; THE BASE ON WHICH PRISON POPULATION PROJECTIONS ARE MADE (THE CORRECTIONS CATCHMENT POPULATION, RATES OF ADMISSIONS FROM THE CATCHMENT POPULATION, MONTHS OF STAY BY OFFENSE TYPE, TOTAL INMATE MONTHS); AND PROJECTIONS OF BEDSPACE NEEDS BASED ON THE CORRECTIONAL CATCHMENT POPULATION AND ON THE CALCULATED INMATE MONTHS. AN EXPLANATION OF THE BEDSPACE NEED CALCULATION IS PROVIDED. IT IS ESTIMATED THAT BY 1985 NEW JERSEY WILL NEED 8,035 BEDSPACES, 2,974 MORE THAN THE EXISTING CAPACITY. SEE NCJ-54180 FOR THE MASTER PLAN. (LKM)