This paper does not assess the appropriateness or the increased use of short sentences for young offenders, which would require much more data than what is available from the Youth Court Statistics series. Critical issues, such as the primary purpose of dispositions, must be settled before dispositions could be evaluated against some abstract standard. During the first few years of the Youth Offenders Act, judges appear to have changed their pattern of use of custodial sanctions. However, more detailed analysis and a clearer statement of purpose of dispositions under the present legislation are necessary in order to evaluate these trends. Endnotes, references