NOT INCLUDED IN THE ANALYSIS ARE WARDS WHO WERE OR ARE IN RECEPTION CENTERS, ON CONTRACT OR TEMPORARY DETENTION STATUS IN YOUTH AUTHORITY INSTITUTIONS, IN DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH FACILITIES, IN COUNTY JAILS ON REVOKE STATUS, AWAITING DELIVERY TO INSTITUTIONS, ABSENT FROM INSTITUTIONS FOR VARIOUS REASONS (COURT APPEARANCE, FURLOUGH, ESCAPE, ETC.), OR ON PAROLE FROM OTHER STATES. OVER THE 10-YEAR PERIOD EXAMINED, THE STATE'S YOUTH POPULATION (AGE 10 TO 20) INCREASED FROM 4.0 MILLION TO 4.2 MILLION, AND SOME DISTINCT CHANGES IN THE NATURE OF THE WARD POPULATION TOOK PLACE. THE MALE-FEMALE PERCENTAGE RATIO FOR WARDS IN INSTITUTIONS WENT FROM 89/11 IN THE EARLY PART OF THE PERIOD TO 96/4 IN THE LATTER PART. THE CHANGE IN SEX RATIO FOR PAROLEES WAS FROM 83 PERCENT MALE TO 95 PERCENT MALE. THE PROPORTION OF MALES IN INSTITUTIONS ON JUVENILE COURT COMMITMENTS DECLINED FROM 63 PERCENT IN 1969 TO UNDER 50 PERCENT IN 1975 AND THEN INCREASED TO 56 PERCENT. FOR FEMALES, THAT PERCENTAGE DECLINED FROM 89 IN 1969 TO 53 IN 1977 AND THEN ROSE TO 60 IN 1978. MALES IN THE PAROLE CASELOAD ON JUVENILE COURT COMMITMENTS DECREASED FROM 65 TO 49 PERCENT. IN THE SECOND 5 YEARS OF THE STUDY PERIOD, CRIMINAL COURT COMMITMENTS REPRESENTED OVER HALF OF THE PAROLE CASELOAD. IN 1969, THE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA AREA CONTRIBUTED APPROXIMATELY 66 PERCENT OF THE TOTAL INSTITUTIONAL POPULATION. THIS CONTRIBUTION DECREASED TO UNDER 60 PERCENT IN 1978, PRIMARILY DUE TO A DECREASE IN COMMITMENTS FROM LOS ANGELES COUNTY. THE BEST ILLUSTRATION OF THE CHANGING CHARACTERISTICS OF YOUTH AUTHORITY WARDS IS FOUND IN THE NATURE OF COMMITMENT OFFENSES. IN THE 10 YEARS STUDIED, THE PROPORTION OF WARDS IN INSTITUTIONS ON VIOLENT OFFENSES (HOMICIDE, ROBBERY, AND ASSAULT) DOUBLED, INCREASING FROM 26 TO 50 PERCENT FOR MALES AND FROM 14 TO 65 PERCENT FOR FEMALES. NUMBERS OF WARDS UNDER COMMITMENT FOR NARCOTIC AND DRUG OFFENSES, WHICH WERE NOTEWORTHY BY THEIR PERCENTAGE INCREASES IN THE LATE 1960'S AND EARLY 1970'S HAVE RECEDED AND, AS OF 1978, CONSTITUTED A MINOR PART OF TOTAL COMMITMENTS. WARDS COMMITTED FOR STATUS OFFENSES DECLINED FROM 16 TO 1 PERCENT FOR MALES AND FROM 49 TO 0 PERCENT FOR FEMALES. THE REPORT CONSISTS OF FIVE TABLES AND A SUMMARY OF HIGHLIGHTS. NO INTERPRETATION IS OFFERED. (LKM)