THE MAJOR TOPIC OF THE ILLINOIS JUVENILE CORRECTIONS MASTER PLAN IS THE DEVELOPMENT OF A STRATEGY FOR DEINSTITUTIONALIZATION AND A MARKED PREFERENCE FOR A SYSTEM OF COMMUNITY-BASED CORRECTIONAL PROGRAMS AND FACILITIES. THE ILLINOIS DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS (IDOC) SHOULD REDUCE ITS JUVENILE RESIDENTIAL OPERATING CAPACITY FROM THE CURRENT 1,109 TO 650 BY 1981. ACCORDINGLY, A METHOD IS OFFERED FOR REDUCING THE AVERAGE DAILY RESIDENTIAL POPULATION FROM 819 TO 562, WITH A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN THE PROPORTION OF THESE OFFENDERS HANDLED IN REGIONAL PROGRAMS. THE MAIN APPROACH FOR REDUCING THE AVERAGE DAILY INSTITUTIONAL POPULATION IS BASED ON DIFFERENTIAL LENGTHS OF RESIDENTIAL STAY ACCORDING TO THE SERIOUSNESS OF THE COMMITMENT OFFENSE. IMPLEMENTATION OF THE RECOMMENDED LENGTH OF STAY RESULTS IN AN AVERAGE OF SIX MONTHS. RECOMMENDATIONS CHART AN AGGRESSIVE COURSE OF ACTION TO ACHIEVE AN EFFECTIVE BALANCE BETWEEN STATEWIDE AND REGIONAL RESIDENTIAL PROGRAMS AT POPULATION LEVELS RANGING FROM A HIGH 1,044 TO A LOW OF 562. MASTER PLAN RECOMMENDATIONS ARE BROADLY GROUPED IN AREAS DEALING WITH INCREASED STATEWIDE LEADERSHIP BY IDOC IN MATTERS RELATED TO JUVENILE CORRECTIONS, A DIVISION-WIDE CONTINUUM OF TREATMENT SERVICES FROM COMMITMENT TO DISCHARGE, THE UPGRADING OF RESIDENTIAL SERVICES AND FACILITIES, THE EXPANDED DEVELOPMENT OF THE SYSTEM OF REGIONAL CORRECTIONS, AND A VARIETY OF RELATED ADMINISTRATIVE ACTIONS TO ENHANCE THE ACCESSIBILITY AND QUALITY OF SERVICES TO COMMITTED YOUTH. TABULAR DATA AND REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED--RCB)