CATEGORIES OF TABLES INCLUDE CHARACTERISTICS OF MALE WARDS IN INSTITUTIONS AND ON PAROLE, AND FEMALE WARDS IN INSTITUTIONS AND ON PAROLE. OFFENSES INCLUDE VIOLENT OFFENSES SUCH AS ROBBERY, MURDER, AND ASSAULT; PROPERTY OFFENSES; SEX OFFENSES; DRUG OFFENSES; AND WELFARE OR INSTITUTION CODE OFFENSES SUCH AS TRUANCY, RUNNING AWAY, OR INCORRIGIBLE BEHAVIOR. MINORITY MALES INCREASED FROM 52 PERCENT OF THE INSTITUTIONAL POPULATION IN 1970 TO 67 PERCENT, AND MINORITY FEMALES, 44 TO 52 PERCENT. MALES COMMITTED TO THE CYA BY CRIMINAL COURTS INCREASED FROM 41 PERCENT IN 1970 TO 50 PERCENT IN 1975, DROPPING OFF TO 44 PERCENT IN 1979. MALES COMMITTED FOR VIOLENT OFFENSES INCREASED FROM 26 TO 50 PERCENT IN 1979, AND FEMALES, 16 TO 62 PERCENT. THE NUMBER OF WARDS COMMITTED ON DRUG CHARGES HAS DECLINED TO EARLY 1960 LEVELS, AND VERY FEW REMAIN IN INSTITUTIONS FOR WELFARE OR INSTITUTIONS INFRACTIONS. OVERALL, MALE WARDS VASTLY OUTNUMBER FEMALES IN INSTITUTIONS BUT THE PROPORTION OF WARDS IN INSTITUTIONS FOR THE FIRST TIME HAS RISEN TO AROUND 80 PERCENT FOR BOTH SEXES. THE AVERAGE AGE OF INSTITUTIONALIZED WARDS IN 1979 IS 20.4 YEARS FOR MALES AND 18.3 FOR FEMALES. MALES AND FEMALES ON PAROLE OUTNUMBERED THOSE IN INSTITUTIONS IN BOTH 1970 AND 1979. WHEREAS, WELFARE AND INSTITUTIONS INFRACTIONS WERE A MAJOR OFFENSE CATEGORY FOR PAROLEES IN THE EARLY SEVENTIES, MANY MORE HAVE NOW COMMITTED VIOLENT CRIMES OR CRIMES AGAINST PROPERTY. CURRENTLY, THERE ARE 165 FEMALES IN CYA INSTITUTIONS AND 4,044 MALES. (PAP)