Participants were asked a number of open-ended questions that addressed both their experience of custody in general and whether specific events had occurred at the secure custody facility from which they had most recently been released or transferred. For the participants who were interviewed while in secure custody, the target facility was defined as the most recent secure custody stay prior to their current incarceration. Open-ended questions focused on young offenders' evaluation of the custodial experience. There were specific questions about the good and bad things about being in custody, perceptions of staff, and perceived fairness of treatment. Questions concerning the target facility addressed positive and negative experiences with correctional staff; the role of correctional staff in actively or passively causing incidents of inmate-on-inmate violence; and access to legal services. Results indicate that correctional staff allowed and induced juveniles to use force on other young offenders. Approximately half of the respondents reported that during their last stay in secure custody, correctional staff deliberately turned a blind eye to impending peer violence. One-third reported that they had directly experienced or witnessed guards offering incentives to young offenders to intimidate or assault other inmates. Further research is necessary to examine the relationships between institutional orientation, staff attitudes, and guards' use of force on inmates, as well as their use of peer violence to achieve and maintain control in custodial facilities. It is also important to consider whether young people's reports accurately represent the reality of their custody experience. The findings do suggest, however, that interventions designed to reduce inmate violence must address the behavior of correctional staff toward inmates. 2 tables, 6 notes, and 25 references