Interviews were conducted with more than 60 children incarcerated in the four long-term juvenile facilities in Louisiana. In addition, project staff spoke with lawyers, judges, juvenile facility personnel, former and current State government officials, private individuals working on contract in the juvenile justice system, and individuals employed by the U.S. Department of Justice's Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. The project found that substantial numbers of children in State training institutions were physically abused by guards on a regular basis, were kept in isolation for long periods of time, and were improperly restrained by handcuffs. The problem of physical abuse was compounded by the fact that no complaint system was available for children to bring abuses to the attention of higher authorities. Discipline was administered in an arbitrary way, and children were often confined in isolation cells for substantial periods of time. Handcuffs were regularly used to restrain children, and many children said they were beaten while handcuffed. Virtually all children reported that they wanted the guards to stop hitting them and that they wanted more food. In addition, physical conditions in which children were confined offered no privacy. Children slept in large dormitories and had to take care of their physical needs in full view of others. Sanitary and violence problems associated with overcrowding and inadequate staffing generally did not exist. Recommendations to improve the treatment of children in confinement are offered. Appendixes contain United Nations rules and standards related to rights of the child, juvenile justice administration, and juvenile delinquency prevention. 71 footnotes