The current study had two main objectives: (1) to identify the scope and nature of alternatives to secure juvenile detention in Iowa and to explore the relationship between secure detention and these alternatives, as well as to find out why and how these types of decisions are made; and (2) to broaden the understanding of alternatives to secure juvenile detention and trends in secure juvenile detention. Two questionnaires were developed for this project: 1 targeted the directors of the 10 secure juvenile detention centers in Iowa while the other targeted their staff members. Data from the Iowa detention centers and the U.S. Census Bureau were also analyzed. Results indicate that there is no comprehensive system of alternatives to detention in Iowa. In terms of secure detention, the difficulties reported during the 1990’s of placing juveniles in detention centers has decreased in recent years due to the expanded number of detention beds. Another change since the 1990’s has occurred in the profile of the typical juvenile placed in detention: in 1993 the profile was that of a 16-year-old Caucasian male who committed a non-person felony property offense while the 2002 profile was that of a 16-year-old Caucasian male who committed a non-person misdemeanor property offense. One explanation of the explosion of misdemeanor offenders in juvenile detention is an increase in mental health problems among this population. Tables, figures, appendixes