THE CAREER CRIMINAL PROGRAM IS A NATIONAL-LEVEL PROGRAM. THE EVALUATION PRESENTED ONLY DESCRIBES AND PRESENTS IN DETAIL THE ROUTINE CRIMINAL JUSTICE PROCESS FROM ARREST TO SENTENCING, THE AGENCIES INVOLVED, DEPARTURES FROM ROUTINE INSTITUTED BY THE PROGRAM, AND THE INTERRELATIONSHIPS AMONG THESE THREE FACTORS IN A SAN DIEGO, CALIF. SITE. OTHER AREAS STUDIED WERE SITES IN ORLEANS PARISH, LA., FRANKLIN COUNTY, OHIO, AND KALAMAZOO, MICH. THE SAN DIEGO SITE'S, LARGE AND COMPLEX CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM IS PRESENTED IN DETAIL, WITH A DESCRIPTION OF THE VARIOUS COMPONENTS. IN ADDITION TO THE EMPHASIS ON COURT PROCESS AND THE PRINCIPAL STEPS IN THE PROCESSING OF A FELONY CASE, THE SYSTEMIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL HURDLES IN THE PROSECUTION OF FELONIES IS REVIEWED. THE CAREER CRIMINAL PROGRAM ATTEMPTS TO OVERCOME THESE HURDLES. INCLUDED IN ITS AIMS ARE THE FOLLOWING: (1) TO GUIDE A SELECT TYPE OF CASE THROUGH THE CRIMINAL PROCESS, (2) TO ENSURE THAT THE CASE REACHES THE SUPERIOR COURT, AND (3) TO INCREASE THE LIKELIHOOD THAT ITS DISPOSITION WILL BE CONVICTION AND ITS JUDGMENT A PRISON SENTENCE. THE ORIGINAL PROGRAM DESIGN FOR SAN DIEGO IS PRESENTED STEP BY STEP. A FUTURE EVALUATION OF THE CAREER CRIMINAL PROGRAM WILL EMPLOY QUANTITATIVE METHODS TO ASSESS IMPACT. TABLES, FLOWCHARTS, AND FOOTNOTES ARE PROVIDED. (MLC)