PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS POSITED BY THE AMERICAN CORRECTIONAL ASSOCIATION (ACA) SEE THE PROFESSIONAL PSYCHOLOGIST AND SOCIAL WORKER AS THE PRINCIPAL AGENTS OF MENTAL HEALTH CARE IN THE NATION'S PRISONS. AGAINST THESE STANDARDS, CURRENT SEVERE SHORTAGES OF PSYCHOLOGISTS EXIST IN STATE PRISONS, AND AN INCREASE IN THE PSYCHOLOGICAL WORK FORCE OF 245 PERCENT IS REQUIRED IN RELATION TO PRISON POPULATIONS PROJECTED FOR 1985. JUDICIAL STANDARDS SET FORTH IN THE PUGH V. LOCKE DECISION OF 1976 PLACE PRIMARY EMPHASIS IN MENTAL HEALTH CARE DELIVERY ON SUBPROFESSIONALS AND PARAPROFESSIONALS. A TABLE PROJECTS 1985 MENTAL HEALTH WORK FORCE NEEDS ON THE BASIS OF PROJECTED PRISONS POPULATIONS IN RELATION TO PUGH V. LOCKE STAFFING STANDARDS. THESE PROJECTIONS SUGGEST SOME 3,000 TREATMENT PERSONNEL, OR AN INCREASE OF 29 PERCENT OVER CURRENT LEVELS, WITH THE LARGEST CADRE (62 PERCENT) COMPOSED OF CORRECTIONAL COUNSELORS AND MENTAL HEALTH TECHNICIANS. THESE STANDARDS WOULD REQUIRE IN 1985 SOME 498 PSYCHOLOGISTS, AN INCREASE OF 36 PERCENT OVER PRESENT LEVELS; THEY ALSO WOULD REQUIRE A MASSIVE INCREASE OF 42 PERCENT AMONG CORRECTIONAL COUNSELORS BUT A DECREASE OF 66 PERCENT AMONG PSYCHIATRISTS AND OF 68 PERCENT AMONG SOCIAL WORKERS. BY ACA STANDARDS, IN 1985, SOCIAL WORKERS WOULD COMPRISE 40 PERCENT OF ALL TREATMENT STAFF IN CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTIONS; PSYCHOLOGISTS, 30 PERCENT; VOCATIONAL COUNSELORS, 20 PERCENT; AND PSYCHIATRISTS, 10 PERCENT. IN CONTRAST, BY PUGH V. LOCKE STANDARDS, CORRECTIONAL COUNSELORS WOULD COMPRISE 62 PERCENT OF TOTAL TREATMENT STAFF; PSYCHOLOGISTS, ONLY 17 PERCENT; SOCIAL WORKERS, 15 PERCENT; AND PSYCHIATRISTS, 2 PERCENT. SPECULATIONS ARE OFFERED ABOUT FUTURE MENTAL HEALTH STAFFING NEEDS UNDER VARYING SETS OF JUDICIAL AND LEGISLATIVE DECISIONS. A TOTAL OF 3 REFERENCE NOTES AND 14 REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)