Although the Youth Authority clearly serves the most serious and chronic offenders in the state, it is also evident that a substantial portion of the youth committed to the Youth Authority have not exhausted other, less restrictive options. Counties use camp placements for relatively lightweight offenders who could have been placed in alternative community programs. If adequate resources were available, the first formal intervention for these youth could be ones that did not require placement in a correctional institution. This would allow a "backing down" of the system, whereby some of the youth currently serving time at the Youth Authority for property offenses could be served in improved camp programs. This in turn would reduce crowding of Youth Authority facilities, allowing the staff to concentrate on counseling and providing rehabilitative services to the more serious offenders. 6 notes, 7 tables.