The rate of imprisonment for the population was determined, based on an event history analysis model developed to identify high-risk youth. The study sample included male delinquent and child welfare cases released from group homes and campus-based residential facilities. Findings revealed that more than 20 percent of delinquent youth were sentenced to adult prisons. Most youth were imprisoned within 3 years of their release from residential programs. Being a juvenile recidivist was significantly associated with future adult imprisonment, and nonwhite juvenile recidivists were much more likely to be imprisoned as adults than other client groups. Implications of the findings for residential child care providers and child welfare advocates are discussed. Social and psychological effects of transitioning from a residential facility to an adult prison are noted. An appendix contains logistic regression model data. 43 references, 7 notes, 4 tables, and 1 figure