BASIC DATA FOR THIS STUDY WERE OBTAINED FROM THREE SAMPLES OF BOYS RELEASED FROM WISCONSIN JUVENILE CORRECTIONAL SCHOOLS BETWEEN 1959 AND 1963. THE FIRST 2 SAMPLES CONSISTED OF 133 YOUTHS RELEASED TO BOARDING HOMES OR TO GROUP FOSTER HOMES OPERATED BY THE DIVISION OF CORRECTIONS. THESE TWO GROUPS SHOWED SUCH SIMILAR CHARACTERISTICS THEY WERE LATER TREATED AS ONE GROUP. THE THIRD GROUP WAS A RANDOM SAMPLE (65 JUVENILES) OF THE 2,289 BOYS RELEASED TO THEIR OWN HOMES. COMPARISONS WERE MADE ON SOCIAL AND BACKGROUND FACTORS. BOYS RETURNED TO THEIR OWN HOMES CAME FROM SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER SOCIOECONOMIC BACKGROUNDS, INTACT HOMES WITH TWO PARENTS, AND HOMES SHOWING A SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER DEGREE OF COHESIVENESS. OTHER SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES WERE FOUND IN EDUCATIONAL LEVEL: BOYS WORKING AT GRADE LEVEL OR SLIGHTLY BELOW WERE MORE LIKELY TO BE RETURNED TO THEIR OWN HOMES. THESE BOYS ALSO HAD SHORTER INSTITUTIONAL STAYS AND FEWER PRIOR COURT APPEARANCES. THE STUDY ALSO COMPARED POSTRELEASE ADJUSTMENT 6 MONTHS AFTER DISCHARGE FROM THE INSTITUTION. A SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER PROPORTION OF THOSE RETURNED TO THEIR OWN HOMES SHOWED UNSATISFACTORY SCHOOL ADJUSTMENT AND WHEN CONTROLLED FOR SOCIOECONOMIC BACKGROUND, THESE DIFFERENCES BECAME EVEN MORE PRONOUNCED. THOSE PLACED IN GROUP HOMES SHOWED BETTER ADJUSTMENT THAN THOSE IN BOARDING HOMES, ALTHOUGH THE SAMPLE WAS NOT LARGE ENOUGH TO SHOW STATISTICAL SIGNIFICANCE. IT WAS ALSO FOUND THAT 46 PERCENT OF THOSE RETURNED TO THEIR OWN HOME VERSUS 27 PERCENT IN AFTERCARE HOMES WERE JAILED WITHIN 6 MONTHS AFTER RELEASE. WHEN THESE FIGURES WERE CONTROLLED FOR SOCIOECONOMIC BACKGROUND, THE DIFFERENCE WAS STILL APPARENT. THESE FINDINGS MAY BE EXPLAINED IN ONE OF THREE WAYS: (1) THE BOYS IN FOSTER HOMES GENERALLY STAYED IN THE INSTITUTION LONGER AND PROBABLY RECEIVED MORE COUNSELING OR THERAPY; (2) THE BOYS RECEIVED MUCH CLOSER SUPERVISION FROM THE FOSTER OR GROUP HOME PARENTS THAN DID BOYS IN THEIR OWN HOMES; (3) THE BOYS WERE NOT RETURNED TO THE ENVIRONMENT THAT ORIGINALLY CONTRIBUTED TO THEIR DELINQUENCY. IT IS SUGGESTED THAT LONGER STAYS IN INSTITUTIONS AND MORE COMPREHENSIVE FOLLOWUP BY PROBATION-PAROLE OFFICERS MAY BE NEEDED FOR BOYS RETURNED TO THEIR OWN HOMES. (GLR)