The three alternative programs differed in their philosophical orientations, but each provided intensive supervision services that involved small caseloads and frequent client contact. All of the programs used a mix of individual, group, and family counseling; educational and vocational support; recreation; and behavioral supervision. After 2 years of operation, evaluations of the programs found that in terms of recidivism and other measures, the outcomes of intensive supervision were almost identical to those of institutionalization, but intensive supervision cost one-third as much as institutionalization. An analysis of court processes during this time, however, found that the intensive supervision programs began to supplement rather than to replace institutionalization as planned. The continued success of alternative programs depends upon monitoring that is used to require juvenile justice decisionmakers to abide by the criteria that make a program a true alternative to institutionalization. 3 tables, 1 figure, and a 27-item bibliography