The booklet first describes the classifications of juveniles that come under the jurisdiction of the juvenile justice system: law violators, status offenders (intervention based solely on the juvenile's status as a minor), and dependent children (juveniles who are neglected, abused, etc.). The role of the police and sheriffs' departments in dealing with juveniles focuses on the disposition options available to these agencies. They include release, diversion to services outside the juvenile justice system, citation for the parents or guardian to appear at a hearing, and arrest. Probation departments are responsible for investigating the background and prior record of any juvenile referred by a law enforcement agency. The probation department determines whether or not the juvenile should be detained at juvenile hall or released. Probation officers also file status offense petitions with the juvenile court and decide which cases involving law violations should be referred to the district attorney. The report also details the responsibilities of the district attorneys' offices in the processing of juveniles, the types of hearings conducted by juvenile courts, and the corrections work of the California Youth Authority. Statistics cover dispositions of juvenile arrests for 1977-87, probation department dispositions for 1977-87, juvenile court dispositions of new petitions for 1977-87, and the juvenile probation caseload for 1977-87.