During 2003, there 930 admissions to regional juvenile detention centers in West Virginia, representing the highest number of juvenile detention admissions since 1999. In 2001, there were 800 juvenile detention admissions and in 2002 there were 885 juvenile detention admissions in West Virginia. Males comprised 78.1 percent of the juvenile detention population in 2003 although they only comprised 51.5 percent of the total juvenile population. Non-White youths were overrepresented as well: minority youth represented 17.5 percent of West Virginia’s juvenile detention population while only comprising 5.8 percent of the total juvenile population in the State. Almost two-thirds of detained youth were charged with two or more offenses in 2003, with the most common charge being assault and battery followed by probation offenses. During 2003, there were 709 juveniles released from West Virginia detention centers, compared to 725 releases in 2002 and 590 releases in 2001. The demographic characteristics of juvenile detainees are presented followed by a description of the methodology used to present the report. Graph, tables