Juvenile correctional institutions in The Netherlands are operated by either state or private-sector entities as detention centers (providing temporary custody) or remedial centers (when extended treatment is needed). The Netherlands is in the midst of significant changes in its population makeup which have had a corresponding effect on the nature of juvenile institutionalization. The article examines specialized treatment programs and facilities, Dutch juvenile law, police, courts, and delinquency. The number of cells in detention centers, remedial centers, and TBS centers (for seriously mentally disturbed young offenders) increased approximately 30 percent in 8 years. The rise in the number of delinquent youths reflected by this increase in youth institutions and the increased heterogeneity of the institutional population has raised serious concerns regarding the future of Dutch penal policy and practice. Table, notes, references