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Tlhe basic explanation for the existence of the East Los Angeles Halfway House lies in the tradiltional observation that the weakest link in attempts to keep former narcotic addicts from reusing drugs is found in the realm of post-institutional programming (Duvall et al 1963, Buckwalter 1961, Foran 1962, Diskind 1960, Proceedings of White House Conference on Narcotic and Drug Abuse 1962). The most dangerous period, the he at which relapse is most likely ‘to occur, follows very closely upon release from an institutional detoxification and treatment program. The onetime addict generally returns to a social situation which probably had somathkg to do with his original use of drugs, and he is usually not only without resources or with limited resources, but he also now carries the additional burden of having been officially labeled a “dope fiend”-a category which is believed to indicate unemployability, crime-proneness …