Caseload data were collected through the Youth Court Survey, in collaboration with provincial and territorial government departments responsible for youth courts. Data indicated that of youth held in custody, 38 percent were held in secure custody, 44 percent were held in open custody, and 18 percent were on remand. The proportion of cases receiving custodial dispositions varied across jurisdictions, ranging from 46 percent in Prince Edward Island to 25 percent in Alberta and British Columbia. Males accounted for 92 percent of youths sentenced to secure custody and 88 percent of youths sentenced to open custody. Almost half of all custodial dispositions handed down by youth courts were for property offenses, most often for breaking and entering. Trends in custodial dispositions ordered by youth courts between 1986 and 1993 are examined. 6 tables and 5 figures