Preplacement diagnostic evaluations of youth referred by the Office of Juvenile Service of the Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections were conducted over the past five years. Data presented in this article are from the two most recently completed years, 1987-88 and 1988-89. Most of the adjudicated youth were placed out of home either in detention or a youth shelter at the time of evaluation. The tables show the types of placement at time of evaluation, the family types at time of evaluation, the types of offenses, and the sample means for intellectual and academic achievement. Data from this study indicate that correctional administrators and educators must coordinate their efforts to improve special educational service delivery and to advocate for improvement in the current system. 7 tables, 12 references