First, a brief history of juvenile corrections in the United States is presented. Selected characteristics of juvenile offenders are discussed, together with some significant developments and trends that pertain to juvenile correctional processing. Several goals of juvenile corrections are reviewed, together with a delineation of the types of offenses normally included within delinquency designation. An overview of the juvenile justice system is presented, and each stage of this process is described. The intent of many juvenile courts is to divert juveniles away from the system, so that they will not develop self-definitions of delinquency. For some juvenile offenders, however, greater discipline and harsher treatment, including detention in secure facilities, are required. These facilities and programs are described and assessed. Finally, several key issues in juvenile corrections, including proposals for modifying the sorts of offenses that qualify for the delinquency label, are presented. Other issues addressed are privatization in juvenile corrections and capital punishment for juveniles. 2 tables, 1 figure, key terms, review questions, and 8 suggested readings