JUVENILE INVESTIGATION OCCUPIES A CENTRAL ROLE IN THE JUVENILE COURT'S EFFORTS TO USE A VARIETY OF RESOURCES TO HELP DEVIANT OR TROUBLED YOUTH TO DEVELOP MORE CONSTRUCTIVE BEHAVIORAL PATTERNS. JUVENILE COURTS HAVE FAILED TO ACHIEVE THEIR OBJECTIVES LARGELY BECAUSE THE DATA BASE AND INVESTIGATIVE PROCEDURES USED IN DIAGNOSING INDIVIDUAL PROBLEMS AND PRESCRIBING REMEDIAL SERVICES HAVE BEEN INADEQUATE. THE DEVELOPMENT OF PERTINENT INFORMATION ABOUT EACH YOUTH COMING BEFORE THE COURT SHOULD FULFILL THE FOLLOWING CRITERIA: (1) COMPREHENSIVE IN SURVEYING ALL ASPECTS OF THE YOUTH'S DEVELOPMENT, (2) SELECTIVE IN OBTAINING DATA THAT ARE ESSENTIAL AND PERTINENT, (3) PROCESS ORIENTED IN FOCUSING ON PAST, PRESENT, AND LIKELY FUTURE DEVELOPMENT, (4) CONTEXTUAL IN EXAMINING BEHAVIOR IN INTERACTION WITH A PARTICULAR ENVIRONMENT, AND (5) INTEGRATIVE IN PROVIDING A COMMON CONCEPTUAL AND LANGUAGE FRAMEWORK WITHIN WHICH A WIDE RANGE OF REPORTS ABOUT THE YOUTH CAN BE SUMMARIZED IN A PRESENTATION OF HIS SITUATION. NOT ONLY MUST THE DATA COLLECTED BE APPROPRIATE FOR MAKING AN ACCURATE ASSESSMENT OF THE YOUTH'S DEVELOPMENT, BUT THE PROCEDURE BY WHICH THE INVESTIGATION IS CONDUCTED MUST BE STANDARDIZED, PROMPT, AND COST-EFFECTIVE. FURTHER, INVESTIGATIVE PROCEDURES SHOULD BE WITHIN THE CAPABILITIES OF THE AVERAGE YOUTH WORKER OR PROBATION OFFICER AND SHOULD BE PRESCRIPTIVE IN SUGGESTING REMEDIES FOR PROBLEMS IDENTIFIED. INVESTIGATIONS OF THE TYPE DESCRIBED ARE VIRTUALLY IMPOSSIBLE WITHOUT THE USE OF AN ONLINE COMPUTER SYSTEM TO STORE, COLLATE, AND PRESENT DATA AND INFORMATION. SUCH A SYSTEM TO AID JUVENILE INVESTIGATIONS IS DESCRIBED. THE COMPUTER ASSISTED REGIONAL EVALUATION SYSTEM, WHICH WAS USED IN THREE COUNTY PROBATION DEPARTMENTS ON A TRIAL BASIS IN 1976, IS DESCRIBED AS TO ITS INPUTS AND OUTPUTS. CONCERNS OF SECURITY AND CONFIDENTIALITY ARE BRIEFLY TREATED. (RCB)