Essential to any attempt to control detention population is putting into effect necessary policy changes, as well as developing alternative programs. There are four basic requirements for any population control program: administrative commitment, written intake policies and guidelines, the use of a risk-screening instrument, and a facility expeditor. The latter is necessary to ensure that the cases of juveniles in detention are prepared and docketed for court as quickly as possible. This paper describes how these four components were used to reform the juvenile detention practices of Cuyahoga County (Cleveland, Ohio) and Broward County, Fla. The experiences in juvenile detention in these two jurisdictions point to one common factor in juvenile detention rates: whenever reducing a detention center's population becomes an organizational priority, population decreases. When administration changes, population tends to increase. Although detention criteria and risk classification instruments are essential, their use must be constantly monitored. If the agency is not committed to controlling population, the detention center's population will increase and will eventually influence every decision the agency makes. 3 tables and a 1-item bibliography