TYC administers a State system of secure institutions, community-based residential programs, and community supervision programs for the most violent and chronic juvenile delinquents adjudicated in the State. The data presented in this report show that the number of first-time commitments to TYC has increased since 1990, but this number continues to be a small proportion of all juvenile offenders in the State. In 1995, 1,318 juveniles were newly committed to TYC, compared to 1,985 in 1990. The number of new commitments to TYC represented approximately 2.3 percent of all delinquent referrals to probation departments in 1995, a decline from 1990 when commitments represented 3 percent of all delinquent referrals. The commitment rate decreased during this period primarily due to a State policy implemented in 1992 that gave financial incentives to juvenile probation departments to find alternatives to TYC commitments. The profile of juveniles committed to TYC has changed. There are more violent offenders, more juveniles using weapons in their offenses, and more juveniles with a history of substance abuse and gang involvement. In 1995 the agency classified 37 percent of its new commitments as violent compared to 16 percent in 1990. African-American and Hispanic juveniles continue to represent the great majority of new commitments (37 percent and 41 percent respectively in 1995). It will be critical in the future to determine if TYC's programs are effective in providing a programmatic and supervisory transition to the adult system for those who need them. The record so far shows that 41 percent of juveniles paroled from TYC care will be reincarcerated within 3 years of being paroled. Extensive tables and figures