The present study examines obstacles to full compliance with requirements of the mandate. Data include interviews with justice officials, direct observations of jail admissions procedures, and individual-level data on all juvenile jail admissions for calendar year 1987. Although there is evidence that commonly recognized impediments to policy reform played a part in Florida's failure to achieve full compliance by the 1988 deadline, our analyses suggest that social conditions neglected by other researchers are of equal or greater importance. 5 tables, 12 notes, and 15 references. (Author abstract)