Youth-serving professionals throughout Vermont were brought together for a series of day-long retreats to discuss the problems of youthful offenders and to develop a comprehensive model for a youthful offender system. The resulting model is based on two elements: (1) a new, legal youthful offender status; and (2) a comprehensive service delivery system to meet the needs of both youthful offenders and the community. Creation of the youthful offender status involves several statutory changes that will affect case flows and service demands. The model is designed to make youthful offenders responsible and contributing community members and to help them master life skills. At the same time, the model stipulates that youth need to be held accountable for their actions and that public safety must be protected through a system of risk reduction programs. Key elements of the proposed service delivery system include youthful offender participation in program plan development, coordination among service providers, service continuity over time, the use of all available resources, and a process for continuous evaluation of system effectiveness. Eligibility and referral criteria for the youthful offender status are examined, as well as legal, administrative, and funding considerations. Guidelines for providing youthful offender services and client population projections for the youthful offender system in Vermont are included. An appendix lists members of the Youthful Offender Study Committee. 3 tables