METHODS USED IN THIS 1978 EVALUATION INCLUDE ANALYSIS OF JUVENILE CRIME DATA, CRIME TRENDS, AND POPULATION TRENDS; INTERJURISDICTIONAL SURVEY OF OTHER LARGE CALIFORNIA COUNTIES; ANALYSIS OF STATE AND NATIONAL STATISTICS RELATED TO JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM PROCESSING; REVIEW OF LOCAL STUDIES OF THE COUNTY'S JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM; AND REVIEW OF STATE-OF-THE-ART RESEARCH ON MAJOR PROBLEM AREAS IN JUVENILE JUSTICE. FINDINGS SHOW THAT THE ARREST RATE FOR SERIOUS JUVENILE CRIMES IN THE COUNTY--23 PERCENT OF ALL ARRESTS PER 100,000 OF THE POPULATION AGES 10-17--IS 7 PERCENT ABOVE THAT OF OTHER LARGE CALIFORNIA JURISDICTIONS. THE ARREST RATE FOR LESSER JUVENILE CRIMES--57 PERCENT OF ALL ARREST--IS 3 PERCENT HIGHER. FOR STATUS OFFENSES, HOWEVER, THE ARREST RATE (20 PERCENT OF ALL ARRESTS) IS 67 PERCENT ABOVE THE LARGE COUNTY AVERAGE OF 1,373 ARRESTS. THE REPORT ALSO IDENTIFIES FOUR MAJOR PROBLEMS IN JUVENILE COURT CASE DISPOSITION: (1) LACK OF EFFECTIVE AND EFFICIENT SCREENING OF JUVENILES; (2) OVERCROWDING; (3) LACK OF CORRECTIONAL ALTERNATIVES; AND (4) NEED FOR AN EFFECTIVE AND EFFICIENT COORDINATION OF JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM COMPONENTS. THE REPORT ALSO PROVIDES NOTES ON AREAS REQUIRING FURTHER STUDY, SUPPORTING DATA, AND A BIBLIOGRAPHY. APPENDIXES CONTAIN ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON JUVENILE DELINQUENT PROCESSING AND A FLOW CHART OF THE SAN DIEGO JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM. (DEP)