The data represent facility admissions collected regularly from all jails and lockups by the Minnesota Department of Corrections, including reported times and dates of admission and release; offenses charged; birthdate; adult certification status; and, for part of 1985, race. Juveniles certified as adults on admission and admitted to programs other than jails and lockups were excluded from the database. The 87 counties in Minnesota have enormous variation in juvenile admission rates to adult jails, partially because some have no local appropriate facilities. Admission to adult jails declined over the State, especially for females. As the rate of suicide for juveniles in adult jails is 4.6 times greater than for those in the population, jailing in adult facilities is dangerous. In addition to other types of facilities for juveniles, it is recommended that a public official confining a juvenile in an adult jail or lockup should be charged with a misdemeanor. It is also recommended that the State should develop a few strategically located secure detention beds for those few juveniles who must be confined for public protection. 14 tables and 1 list.