IN A LEGAL SYSTEM THAT CONTINUES TO ADVOCATE PUNISHMENT AND RETRIBUTION, REHABILITATION PROGRAMS OFTEN SERVE AS SUBSTITUTES FOR, RATHER THAN ALTERNATIVES TO, INCARCERATION. THE LEGAL STRUCTURE ESSENTIALLY DICTATES THE USE OF COMMUNITY RESOURCES FOR DEALING WITH CRIME. ALTHOUGH THE LEGAL SYSTEM CANNOT BE ABOLISHED, IT IS POSSIBLE TO PLACE THE SYSTEM WITHIN A THERAPEUTIC CRISIS INTERVENTION NETWORK, GIVEN THE VIEW THAT CRIME ACTUALLY IS A CRISIS IN THAT IT REPRESENTS THE DISRUPTION OF AN ADAPTIVE PATTERN OF AN INDIVIDUAL AND/OR A SOCIETY. IN A LEGAL SYSTEM ACTING AS A CRISIS INTERVENTION NETWORK, LAWS DESIGNED TO PROVIDE CONTROLS AS A THERAPEUTIC DEVICE FOR PEOPLE WHOSE BEHAVIOR EXCEEDS THE LIMITS IMPOSED BY SOCIETY WOULD REPLACE THE TRADITIONAL STATUTORY FOCUS ON PROTECTION OF SOCIETY, PUNISHMENT OF OFFENSES, DETERRENTS TO CRIME, AND RETRIBUTION. LAWS WOULD BE INTERPRETED AND APPLIED IN THE CONTEXT OF THE INDIVIDUAL WHOSE BEHAVIOR IS AT ISSUE. RATHER THAN TAKING PART IN AN ADVERSARY PROCEDURE CONCERNED WITH ATTRIBUTION OF BLAME, JUDICIAL PARTICIPANTS WOULD ACT AS A CRISIS INTERVENTION TEAM, SEARCHING FOR MEANS TO HELP BOTH SOCIETY AND THE OFFENDING INDIVIDUAL. DIAGNOSTIC AND TREATMENT CENTERS COULD PROVIDE COST-EFFECTIVE ALTERNATIVES TO COURT APPEARANCES IN MANY INSTANCES. WHEN A COURT APPEARANCE IS REQUIRED, IT COULD BE USED AS A CRISIS INTERVENTION TECHNIQUE. ALTHOUGH CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTIONS WOULD STILL BE NECESSARY, THEY TOO COULD BE VIEWED WITHIN THE CRISIS INTERVENTION FRAMEWORK. CITIZENS, POLICE, AND PROBATION AND PAROLE OFFICERS WOULD HAVE AN IMPORTANT ROLE TO PLAY IN THE PREVENTIVE ASPECTS OF CRISIS INTERVENTION. EXAMPLES OF PROGRAMS WHICH, VIEWED IN THE CONTEXT OF CRISIS INTERVENTION, TRULY PROVIDE ALTERNATIVES TO INSTITUTIONALIZATION ARE CITED. A LIST OF REFERENCES IS INCLUDED. (LKM)