A study identified and compared writing needs of graduates of Criminal Justice and Drafting and Design programs at Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, Community College (WCCC). Subjects, 115 graduates of the programs from 1972 through 1990, completed surveys. A total of 310 questionnaires were sent, for a return rate of 37%. Results indicated that: (1) writing is important to graduates of both programs, but significantly more (95%) WCCC criminal justice (CRJ) graduates than drafting and design graduates (40.9%) rated writing very important; (2) 95% of the CRJ graduates reported writing on the job every day compared to 63.6% of drafting graduates; (3) a significantly larger proportion of CRJ graduates reported preparing narratives, formal reports, and letters; (4) a significantly larger proportion of drafting graduates reported preparing instructions; (5) a significantly larger proportion of CRJ graduates than drafting graduates reported writing for readers inside their organizations; (6) 89% of graduates of both programs rated accuracy, clarity, and organization as very important; and (7) 90% of the CRJ graduates compared to 45.5% of drafting graduates recommended a second-level college writing course specifically targeted at their field. Findings suggest that writing is an important and frequent on-the-job activity of both groups. Recommendations include implementation of a writing course designed specifically for criminal justice majors and placement of more emphasis upon the importance of writing to all graduates of technical programs. (Twelve tables and 9 figures of data are included; 20 references, the pre-contact letter, the cover letter and questionnaire, and the follow-up postcard are attached.) (RS)