THE FOCUS OF THIS STUDY, AND THE OBJECT OF THIS REPORT, WAS TO PROVIDE A QUALITATIVE PERSPECTIVE OF COMMUNITY-BASED ALTERNATIVES TO INCARCERATION BASED UPON 1) A REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE RELATING TO THE KEY ISSUES AND RESEARCH; AND 2) FINDINGS FROM THE FIELD RESEARCH COVERING A RANGE OF COMMUNITY-BASED PROGRAMS. THE FIELD RESEARCH SPECIFICALLY ATTEMPTED TO REFLECT THE PERSPECTIVES OF KEY ACTORS, INCLUDING WHENEVER POSSIBLE, YOUTHS BEING PROCESSED THROUGH THE SYSTEM. THIS STUDY WAS ONE OF A NUMBER OF PHASE I ASSESSMENTS OF THE NATIONAL EVALUATION PROGRAM WITHIN LEAA TO FOCUS SPECIFICALLY ON A TOPIC WITHIN JUVENILE JUSTICE. THE STUDY RESULTS ARE PRESENTED IN THREE VOLUMES. THE FIRST VOLUME, 'COMMUNITY-BASED ALTERNATIVES TO JUVENILE INCARCERATION: FINAL REPORT,' PROVIDES DETAILED INFORMATION ON THE STUDY BACKGROUND, METHODOLOGY, AND FINDINGS. THIS VOLUME IS A SUMMARY OF THAT REPORT; IT INCLUDES A SUMMARY OF THE LITERATURE REVIEW, A DISCUSSION OF THE FIELD RESEARCH METHODOLOGY, AN OVERVIEW OF THE SITE VISIT FINDINGS, AND THE STUDY CONCLUSIONS. IT BRIEFLY SUMMARIZES THE ASSESSMENTS MADE OF A NUMBER OF ASPECTS OF COMMUNITY-BASED PROGRAMS, INCLUDING THE EXTENT AND QUALITY OF CLIENTS CONTACTS WITH THE COMMUNITY, THE AMOUNT OF CONTROL EXERTED OVER YOUTH IN THESE PROGRAMS, AND THE PROGRAM STAFF. THE REPORT ALSO HIGHLIGHTS THE NEED TO ASSESS COMMUNITY-BASED PROGRAMS AS AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE JUVENILE JUSTICE PROCESS. A MAJOR FINDING OF THIS STUDY, REPORTED IN THIS SUMMARY VOLUME, WAS THAT THERE HAS BEEN A TREND TOWARDS INCREASED USE OF COMMUNITY-BASED FACILITIES BUT NOT A MAJOR DECLINE IN THE USE OF TRAINING OR REFORM SCHOOLS. IT IS NOTED THAT THIS RESULTS IN MANY PROGRAMS SERVING AS A SUPPLEMENT TO INCARCERATION RATHER THAN REPLACING SECURE INSTITUTIONAL CARE. THE IMPLICATIONS OF THIS FINDING TO CORRECTIONAL POLICY DECISIONS ARE NOTED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)