THE TABLES CONTAIN SELECTED CHARACTERISTICS OF PUBLIC JUVENILE CUSTODY RESIDENTS AND FACILITIES BY YEAR (1971, 1973 THROUGH 1975, AND 1977), BY TYPE OF FACILITY (1977), AND BY STATE (50 STATES INCLUDING THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA). DATA SHOW THAT THE NUMBER OF RESIDENTS HOUSED NATIONWIDE IN PUBLICLY OPERATED FACILITIES FOR JUVENILES DECREASED BY ABOUT 3,200 INDIVIDUALS (7 PERCENT) DURING A 2.5-YEAR PERIOD, WHEREAS THE NUMBER OF FACILITIES INCREASED NEARLY 14 PERCENT. IN ADDITION, THE REDUCTION IN THE NUMBER OF PUBLIC CUSTODY RESIDENTS AS OPPOSED TO THE INCREASED NUMBERS OF JUVENILES IN 'OPEN' FACILITIES IS INDICATIVE OF THE TREND TO DIVERT JUVENILES FROM INSTITUTIONS TO SMALL, COMMUNITY-BASED RESIDENCES NEAR THEIR HOMES. MOST YOUTHS HAD BEEN DETAINED PENDING DISPOSITION OF THEIR CASES, WHILE VIRTUALLY ALL THE REST HAD BEEN COMMITTED FOLLOWING ADJUDICATION OR OTHER FORMAL PROCEEDINGS. A SMALL NUMBER WERE BEING HOUSED ON THE BASIS OF VOLUNTARY ADMISSION. MOST YOUTHS HAD COMMITTED DELINQUENT ACTS, FOLLOWED BY STATUS OFFENSES (1 IN 10 JUVENILES). THE PERCENTAGE OF FEMALES IN CUSTODY DECLINED, BLACK YOUTHS CONSTITUTED A THIRD OF ALL RESIDENTS, AND HISPANICS CONSTITUTED 9 PERCENT. TURNOVER RATES AT PUBLIC JUVENILE FACILITIES WERE HIGH, APPROXIMATELY 614,000 ADMISSIONS AND 622,000 DEPARTURES NATIONWIDE IN 1977. DESPITE THE REDUCED NUMBER OF YOUTHS IN CUSTODY AND THE PREVALENCE OF LOW OCCUPANCY RATES, STAFF SIZE AND EXPENDITURES CONTINUED TO RISE. ALSO, ABOUT THREE OF EVERY FIVE STATES EXPERIENCED A DECLINE IN THE NUMBER OF JUVENILES HELD IN PUBLIC FACILITIES BETWEEN MID-1975 AND THE END OF 1977. THE HIGHEST RATIOS OF JUVENILES PER 100,000 POPULATION PREVAILED IN THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, FOLLOWED BY NEVADA AND CALIFORNIA. SOME FOOTNOTES ARE PROVIDED.