AbstractAcademic and practicing criminal justice planners have generally assumed the utility of a particular model of planning. This model, the general planning process model, proceeds in a strict sequence of problem analysis, goal identification, alternative analysis, program selection, implementation, and evaluation. While this approach has proven useful in other areas such as corporate and military planning many of the fundamental assumptions underlying its use are not satisfied in the criminal justice field. Criminal justice planners have generally attempted to modify the field to match the assumptions of their planning approach. hut they have had little success in doing so. An alternative model exists, however, which suggests that planning ought to he restricted, concurrent, and fragmented. This approach not only adapts planning to the present characteristics of the criminal, justice field hut also helps deal with some of the fields most troublesome characteristics.