WITHIN THE JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM, INSTITUTIONS REPRESENT THE LAST RESORT FOR JUVENILES WHO HAVE FAILED THE PROGRAMS OF PREVENTION, DIVERSION, AND OTHER ALTERNATIVES. INSTITUTIONS ARE EXPECTED TO WORK THE CURE THAT HAS ELUDED OTHER COMPONENTS OF THE SYSTEM. THE CURE IS NONEXISTENT, AND AS A RESULT THE INSTITUTIONS HAVE BECOME THE SCAPEGOAT OF THE JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM. HOWEVER, EVEN IF THE CURE EXISTED, MOST INSTITUTIONS COULD NOT EFFECTIVELY DISPENSE IT. IMPEDIMENTS INHERENT IN THE INSTITUTION ITSELF AS WELL AS OUTSIDE FORCES BEYOND THE CONTROL OF THE INSTITUTION LIMIT ITS EFFECTIVENESS. IN ADDRESSING THE SHORTCOMINGS OF INSTITUTIONS, THE PROBLEM IS NOT ONE OF BUILDING ALTERNATIVES BUT RATHER ONE OF AVOIDING THE CREATION OF THE SAME SYSTEM UNDER A NEW NAME. THE INTRODUCTION OF SMALLER INSTITUTIONS, GROUP HOMES, FOSTER CARE, DIVERSIONARY PROGRAMS, AND THE LIKE IS MERELY PALLIATIVE. POLITICAL AND OTHER FACTORS THAT PERPETUATE THE EXISTING JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM IN ITS INADEQUACY MUST BE RECOGNIZED. NEW DIRECTIONS IN CHILD CARE, BASED ON A RENEWAL OF CONVICTIONS REGARDING THE VALUE AND WORTH OF HUMAN DIGNITY, MUST BE SOUGHT. A LIST OF REFERENCES IS INCLUDED. (LKM)