THE LAW AND THE PSYCHIATRIST WORK ON COMMON GROUNDS IN THAT BOTH DEAL WITH INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE BASICALLY UNABLE TO ADJUST TO SOCIETY'S DEMANDS. IN THE CONTEXT OF A THERAPEUTIC ORIENTATION, PSYCHIATRISTS EXAMINE THE NATURE OF BEHAVIOR AND FOCUS THEIR ATTENTION ON INDIVIDUALS WHO PERPETRATE ABNORMAL BEHAVIOR. SOCIETY AND ADMINISTRATORS OF JUSTICE, IN CONTRAST, FOCUS THEIR ATTENTION ON THE OFFENSE. WITH REGARD TO THE PSYCHOLOGICAL MOTIVATION OF CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR, THE NATURE OF STRESS IS IMPORTANT. THE TYPE OF STRESS ENGENDERING A CRIMINAL RESPONSE IS ESSENTIALLY CONCERNED WITH DISTURBED INTERPERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS. PARENTAL INFLUENCE IS A SIGNIFICANT FACTOR IN DETERMINING A CHILD'S PERSONALITY DEVELOPMENT. SUCH PARAMETERS AS PARENTAL REJECTION, ABUSE, NEGLECT, OVERCONTROL, EXTREME PERMISSIVENESS, AND LACK OF GUIDANCE CONTRIBUTE TO FAULTY PERSONALITY DEVELOPMENT IN CHILDHOOD. MAJOR FORMS OF MENTAL ILLNESS ASSOCIATED WITH CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR INCLUDE SCHIZOPHRENIA, MANIC-DEPRESSIVE DISORDERS, AND EPILEPSY. ADOLESCENCE IS A PERIOD OF EXTREME PSYCHOLOGICAL STRESS. WHILE STRUGGLING WITH FUNDAMENTAL INTRAPSYCHIC CONFLICTS, ADOLESCENTS MUST COPE WITH BROADER ASPECTS OF INTERPERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS AND PLACEMENT WITHIN ADULT SOCIETY. THE EXTREME EMOTIONAL STATE OF MANY ADOLESCENTS MAKES THEM VULNERABLE TO THE USE OF SUCH DRUGS AS MARIHUANA AND PRONE TO DELINQUENCY. ADOLESCENTS REQUIRE CORRECTIVE PROCEDURES AND, IF NECESSARY, ACTIVE PSYCHIATRIC TREATMENT RATHER THAN PUNITIVE MEASURES. SIMILARLY, OFFENDERS WHOSE CRIMES ARE DIRECTLY RELATED TO ALCOHOLISM ARE NOT RESPONSIVE TO PUNITIVE MEASURES. THEY TOO REQUIRE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR TREATMENT. SOCIOPATHS NEED SPECIAL CONSIDERATION BECAUSE THEY SUFFER FROM MENTAL ILLNESS AND EXHIBIT ABNORMAL PERSONALITY TYPES. THE PLACEMENT OF CRIMINAL SOCIOPATHS, HOWEVER, IS AN UNRESOLVED PROBLEM. PSYCHIATRIC TREATMENT AND MANAGEMENT OF CRIMINAL OFFENDERS CAN ONLY BECOME MEANINGFUL ON THE BASIS OF A CLEAR UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT IS INVOLVED IN CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR FROM A PSYCHOLOGICAL POINT OF VIEW. THE IMPROVEMENT OF SOCIETAL ATTITUDES TOWARD MENTALLY DISORDERED PERSONS AND GENERALIZATIONS ABOUT THERAPEUTIC ATTITUDES TOWARD CRIMINAL OFFENDERS ARE DISCUSSED. A BIBLIOGRAPHY IS PROVIDED. (DEP)