IN ORDER TO OBTAIN INFORMATION ABOUT THE NUMBER OF CHILDREN HELD IN ADULT JAILS AND CONDITIONS OF THEIR CONFINEMENT, MEMBERS OF A RESEARCH PROJECT VISITED 449 JAILS. IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT REGARDLESS OF A STATE'S LAWS, CORRECTIONAL POLICIES, OR ADMINISTRATIVE PRACTICES, CHILDREN WERE FOUND IN ADULT JAILS IN EVERY REGION OF THE COUNTRY. SPECIFIC LOCATIONS OF THE JAILS ARE MENTIONED IN THE APPENDIX. THOUGH THE STATISTICS SHOW APPALLING NUMBERS OF MISPLACED CHILDREN IN THE JAILS, THEY REVEAL NOTHING OF THE CONDITIONS OF THEIR INCARCERATION. PARTICULAR INSTANCES ILLUSTRATING ADVERSE CONDITIONS AND MOLESTATION ARE RELATED BY THE CHILDREN IN THEIR OWN WORDS. RATIONALES FOR JAILING CHILDREN ARE EXPLORED, AS WELL AS THE QUESTION OF WHETHER OR NOT IT IS LEGAL TO JAIL CHILDREN. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR CHILD ADVOCATES ARE OFFERED IN THE CONCLUDING CHAPTER. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)