Police data indicate the total number of juvenile suspects reported by police, the percentage of female suspects, and the percentage of suspects charged with a felony. The total number of suspected juveniles peaked at 21,300 in 1981 and declined each year thereafter to 13,700 in 1987. There was a continuous increase in the percentage of female suspects, however, over the entire period. The total number of female suspects decreased only after 1985 and then to a lesser degree than the males. The percentage of suspects charged with a felony decreased continuously between 1981 and 1985 followed by small increases in 1986 and 1987. Court statistics indicate the total number of juveniles convicted by the court and the percentage of those who are female. From 1981 through 1987, there has been a sharp decrease in the number of juveniles convicted. This has been largely due to a provision in the penal code that gives the prosecutor discretion to submit cases to mediation and conflict resolution instead of formal processing. 2 tables