THE MAJOR ELEMENTS OF THE OHIO FPSDS ARE THE COMMUNITY FORENSIC PSYCHIATRIC CENTERS, LIMA STATE HOSPITAL, THE COURTS THAT REFER FORENSIC CLIENTS, LOCAL AND STATE CORRECTIONS AGENCIES, AND THE CIVIL MENTAL HEALTH INSTITUTIONS. THE ACTIVITIES OF THE SYSTEM COMPONENTS AND THE RELATIONSHIPS AMONG THEM ARE HEAVILY INFLUENCED BY THE LEGAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE ENVIRONMENTS AT BOTH THE STATE AND LOCAL LEVELS. THE ACTIVITIES AND PROCESSES THAT OCCUR WITHIN THE FPSDS CAN BE INTERPRETED IN TERMS OF THE FUNCTIONS THE SYSTEM PERFORMS. THESE FUNCTIONS INCLUDE INFORMATION GENERATION, DECISIONMAKING, CUSTODY, AND TREATMENT. THE INFORMATION-GENERATION FUNCTION, WHICH IS MOST VISIBLE IN THE FORM OF FORENSIC EXAMINATIONS FOR THE COURTS, IS CURRENTLY SHIFTING FROM AN INSTITUTIONAL BASE AT THE LIMA STATE HOSPITAL (LSH) TO FACILITIES LESS REMOTE FROM THE HOME COMMUNITIES OF THE CLIENTS IT SERVES. THE DECISIONMAKING FUNCTION, THOUGH NOT EXPLICITLY INVESTIGATED IN THIS STUDY, APPEARS TO BE SHIFTING FROM THE COURTS TO THE MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS, PARTICULARLY IN THOSE GEOGRAPHIC AREAS SERVED BY COMMUNITY FORENSIC CENTERS. THE CUSTODY FUNCTION IS ALSO IN THE PROCESS OF SHIFTING ITS BASE WITHIN THE SYSTEM. DUE TO AN INTERIM COURT ORDER DEMANDING A REDUCTION IN LSH POPULATION, SINCE 1971, THERE HAVE BEEN INCREASING POPULATIONS IN CORRECTIONS AND CIVIL MENTAL HEALTH INSTITUTIONS. THE TREATMENT FUNCTION, WHICH IS PERFORMED IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE CUSTODY FUNCTION, IS POORLY DEFINED. THERE IS A SERIOUS LACK OF COORDINATION AMONG THE ELEMENTS OF THE FPSDS. EACH OF THE ELEMENTS OPERATES RELATIVELY INDEPENDENT OF THE OTHERS. AS COMMUNITY FORENSIC CENTERS BECOME MORE WIDESPREAD, THE DEPENDENCE UPON THEM BY COURTS TO PROVIDE EVALUATION INFORMATION CAN BE EXPECTED TO INCREASE. THERE IS EVIDENCE THAT THESE CENTERS MAY BECOME DECISIONMAKERS BY DEFAULT IN THE AREA OF TREATMENT REFERRALS. (RCB)