IN 1967, A STATE GOVERNMENTAL STUDY OF THE FLORIDA JUVENILE CORRECTIONAL PROGRAM REVEALED ITS PRIMITIVENESS, AND A DETERMINATION WAS MADE THAT NEW AND PROGRESSIVE THINKING WAS REQUIRED. AFTER THE HIRING OF A NEW DIRECTOR OF THE DIVISION OF YOUTH SERVICES, FLORIDA OPENED ITS FIRST COMMUNITY-BASED JUVENILE CORRECTIONAL PROGRAM IN 1968. EMPHASIS WAS PLACED UPON DIVERTING JUVENILES FROM TRAINING SCHOOLS. CLIENTS ARE INVOLVED IN DECISIONS AS TO WHO IS ADMITTED TO THE PROGRAM, HOW LONG ONE STAYS, WHO SHOULD GO ON HOME VISIT, AND WHEN SOMEONE SHOULD GRADUATE. IT WAS DETERMINED THAT ALL JUVENILE CORRECTIONAL PROGRAMS SHOULD BE LOCATED IN CLIENTS' COMMUNITIES, SO AS TO PROVIDE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THEM TO DEAL WITH THEIR REAL-LIFE PROBLEMS IN A CONSTRUCTIVE WAY. THE DECISION WAS MADE EARLY TO WORK WITH JUVENILES IN GROUPS. EXPERIMENTATION WITHIN THIS PARAMETER HAS BEEN ENCOURAGED, HOWEVER, IN THE BELIEF THAT DIFFERENT PROGRAMS IN DIFFERENT SETTINGS WITH DIFFERENT CLIENTS AND STAFF REQUIRES THAT EACH PROGRAM TAKE ON ITS OWN UNIQUE CHARACTERISTICS WITHIN BROAD POLICY GUIDELINES. IN 1967, FLORIDA HAD THREE LARGE TRAINING SCHOOLS TO WHICH ALL JUVENILES WERE COMMITTED. THE STATE NOW HAS 28 COMMUNITY PROGRAMS IN ITS BUREAU OF GROUP TREATMENT IN ADDITION TO PHASED-DOWN INSTITUTIONS AND A HOST OF OTHER COMMUNITY ALTERNATIVES. IT IS EXPECTED THAT IN 2 OR 3 YEARS, FLORIDA WILL HAVE 70 PERCENT OF ITS COMMITTMENTS IN LOCALLY BASED COMMUNITY PROGRAMS. (RCB)