The Center on Juvenile and Criminal Justice (CJCJ) was commissioned by the Sierra Health Foundation to examine the juvenile justice system in the State of California and determine the impact that foundations could have on improving and reforming the system. The analysis indicates that foundations can provide beneficial services to the juvenile justice system in several ways: by playing a key leadership role in assisting counties in their efforts to develop a wider array of interventions, especially for special-needs youth; by assisting counties in their efforts to develop data gathering and management information systems; and by promoting the development of a coherent and consistent level of juvenile justice care throughout the State. The report is divided into six primary sections: 1) an historical overview of juvenile justice in California; 2) the current state of the California juvenile justice system; 3) a statistical overview of the 26 counties served by the Sierra Health Foundation; 4) information on how counties should plan for a 21st century juvenile justice system; 5) recommendations for constructing a model juvenile justice system for California; and 6) implementing juvenile justice reform in California. Tables, exhibits, and references