According to California law, minors cannot be held in adult jail unless they are age 16 or 17 and have been remanded to adult court for proceedings on a serious or violent felony. Lockups may be used for the temporary detention, not to exceed 6 hours, of minors 14 years or older who have been charged with a crime and pose a serious risk to themselves or others. Of the 564 law enforcement agencies surveyed, 299 (53 percent) reported they had placed one or more minors in secure detention during 1991. Monthly reports showed that 45,270 minors were securely confined during 1991, a decrease from 49,660 in 1990. Of the confinements in 1991, only 500 were held more than 6 hours; of the 158 minors held over 24 hours, 153 were confined by order of the court. From 1984 to 1991, the number of minors confined between 6 and 24 hours dropped from 11,249 to 342, a decrease of 97 percent; the number of agencies that confined minors from 6 to 24 hours decreased from 80 to 70. During the same time frame, confinements of minors over 24 hours fell 67 percent, from 485 to 158. 4 tables and 5 appendixes