The survey instrument contained 45 forced-choice questions. A written guide and a video training tape accompanied the survey instrument to ensure reliability in the collected data. In each of the 44 correctional facilities, the survey was completed by confined juveniles in small groups. Only 5.2 percent of youth were 13 years of age or younger; the median age was 16 years. Most were male, and the racial distribution was 18.9 percent Hispanic, 27.1 percent white. 46.1 percent black, and 7.9 percent other. Bivariate findings showed a strong connection between fighting and drug abuse, in relation to whether the same youth reported gang membership. Self-reported gang membership appeared to be substantially higher than that estimated by juvenile correctional administrators. Although no significant differences emerged between males and females in terms of prior gang membership, race significantly differentiated gang membership. Hispanics led in terms of the proportion reporting ever being gang members, compared to 46.5 percent of blacks and 36.7 percent of whites. Drug and alcohol abuse appeared to be related to physical fights, fights involving deadly weapons, gang membership, and suicide ideation and planning. Gang members tended to be incarcerated longer than their nongang counterparts. Further, gang members were significantly more likely than nongang members to report cigarette smoking and sexual activity. 49 references, 8 footnotes, 9 tables, and 1 figure