DELINQUENCY STATUTES IN THE UNITED STATES EMPOWER JUVENILE COURTS TO INTERVENE IN CASES WHERE YOUTH ARE INVOLVED IN VIOLATIONS OF CRIMINAL LAWS. JUVENILE COURT LAWS ADDITIONALLY SPECIFY THAT YOUTH CAN BE MADE WARDS OF THE COURT AND DEALT WITH AS DELINQUENTS IF THEY ARE INVOLVED IN VARIOUS STATUS OFFENSES. OFFENDERS INVOLVED WITH THE POLICE AND PROCESSED THROUGH THE JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM TEND TO BE HABITUAL DELINQUENTS WHO HAVE COMMITTED SOME TYPE OF SERIOUS CRIME OR MISCONDUCT. FACTORS IN POLICE APPREHENSION, COURT REFERRAL, AND OTHER DECISIONS ARE NUMEROUS, AND THE OFFENDER'S PROSPECTS OF BECOMING IDENTIFIED AS A JUVENILE DELINQUENT ARE PARTIALLY RELATED TO CHARACTERISTICS OF POLICEMEN, POLICE DEPARTMENTS, COURT PERSONNEL, AND COMMUNITY INFLUENCES. ALTHOUGH ONE OFFICIAL FUNCTION OF CORRECTIONAL AGENCIES AND PROCESSES IS REFORMATION OF THE OFFENDER, THE ACTUAL OUTCOME MAY OFTEN BE ISOLATION OF THE PERSON, REINFORCEMENT OF THE DEVIANT ROLE, OR REJECTION OF SOCIETY BY THE OFFENDER. JUVENILE COURTS AND INSTITUTIONS HAVE FAILED TO EFFECTIVELY DIVERT DELINQUENTS FROM FURTHER INVOLVEMENT IN CRIMINAL ACTIVITY. THE YOUTH SERVICES BUREAU IS A MAJOR ALTERNATIVE TO THE JUVENILE COURT, ALTHOUGH THE CONCEPT NEEDS FURTHER CLARIFICATION. ALTERNATIVES TO INSTITUTIONALIZATION HAVE BEEN DEVISED THAT INCLUDE COMMUNITY-BASED RESIDENTIAL FACILITIES AND INTENSIFIED COUNSELING AND PROBATION PROGRAMS. LARGE-SCALE DELINQUENCY PREVENTION EFFORTS HAVE BEEN INITIATED, BUT THEIR SUCCESS IS NOT CLEAR. PROGRAMS CENTERED AROUND CHANGING THE BEHAVIOR OF PREDELINQUENTS THROUGH SPECIAL SCHOOL AND WORK EXPERIENCES HAVE NOT SHOWN ANY POSITIVE RESULTS. NO REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. (DEP)