THE FIRST PROJECT BY THE CALIFORNIA YOUTH AUTHORITY WAS DUBBED THE COMMUNITY TREATMENT PROJECT, AND CONSISTED OF AN EXPERIMENT INVOLVING JUVENILES UNDERGOING TREATMENT THROUGH COMMUNITY-BASED CORRECTIONS PROGRAM. ALTHOUGH THE PROJECT WAS CONSIDERED A SUCCESS, PAUL LERMAN, WRITING IN 'SOCIAL WORK,' JULY 1968, ARGUED THAT THE PROJECT WAS NEITHER MORE EFFECTIVE NOR LESS EXPENSIVE THAN TRADITIONAL INSTITUTIONAL CORRECTIONS PROGRAMS. LERMAN ARGUED THAT PROJECTS INTENDED TO BE ALTERNATIVES TO INCARCERATION SOMETIMES INVOLVE A GREAT DEAL OF IT, AND SUGGESTED THAT SHORT TERM DETENTION IS A POSSIBLE ALTERNATIVE TO INCARCERATION OR REVOCATION OF PAROLE. THE SECOND PROGRAM WAS KNOWN AS PROBATION SUBSIDY AND INVOLVED PAYING COUNTIES FOR REDUCING THEIR RATES OF COMMITMENT TO STATE INSTITUTIONS. THIS SUBSIDY WAS INTENDED TO EXPAND AND STRENGTHEN COUNTY PROBATION SERVICES AND RESULTED IN THE SUCCESSFUL DIVERSION OF OFFENDERS FROM INCARCERATION IN STATE FACILITIES. HOWEVER, LERMAN CLAIMED THAT THE PROGRAM HAD THE OPPOSITE EFFECT, CHARGING THAT THE PACE OF INSTITUTIONALIZATION QUICKENED AND MERELY SPREAD CASES OVER A WIDER AREA OF CONTROL. LERMAN'S CONCLUSIONS ARE ATTACKED AS BEING THE RESULT OF FAULTY MEASUREMENTS. IT IS ARGUED THAT LERMAN'S STUDY APPEARED TO BE MORE SELECTIVE THAN COMPLETE AS A RESULT OF HIS ATTEMPT TO ASSESS THE SOCIAL COSTS OF THESE PROGRAMS. IT IS NOTED THAT THERE IS A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE SOCIAL COSTS OF EACH PROGRAM BECAUSE THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP SPENT MORE TIME IN THE COMMUNITY THAN DID THE INCARCERATED CONTROL GROUP. ALTHOUGH OTHER MINOR FLAWS EXIST IN THE LERMAN EFFORT, IT IS CONCLUDED THAT THIS MATERIAL IS STILL VALUABLE BECAUSE IT DIRECTS ATTENTION TO THE PROBLEMS OF CORRECTIONAL SYSTEMS. (BAC)