THE CALIFORNIA YOUTH AUTHORITY'S (CYA'S) AIM IS TO PROTECT SOCIETY BY TRAINING OR TREATING, RATHER THAN PUNISHING, JUVENILE OFFENDERS IN INSTITUTIONS AND CONSERVATION CAMPS THROUGH PAROLE AND PROBATION, RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT, AND AFFIRMATIVE ACTION PROGRAMS. PROGRAMS INCLUDE VOCATIONAL AND REMEDIAL EDUCATION, HIGH SCHOOL AND COLLEGE COURSES, COUNSELING AND JOB TRAINING, AND SPECIAL TREATMENT. EIGHT NEW UNITS WERE OPENED IN 1978 IN RESPONSE TO GROWING INSTITUTIONAL POPULATIONS, INCLUDING MUCH-NEEDED PSYCHIATRIC UNITS. EMPHASIZED IN 1978 WERE THE USE OF VOLUNTEERS SUCH AS FOSTER GRANDPARENTS, IMPROVED SECURITY IN INSTITUTIONS, REMOVAL OF POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS JUVENILES FROM LARGER INSTITUTION POPULATIONS, AND EXPERIMENTAL LIVING ARRANGEMENTS. CYA'S PAROLE OFFICERS SUPERVISE YOUTHS WHEN THEY ARE RELEASED FROM INSTITUTIONS AND OFFER SUPPORT AND PROGRAMS TO HELP THEM READJUST TO SOCIETY, WHILE CYA LIAISONS HELP LOCAL COMMUNITIES WITH JUVENILE CRIME. ALSO, 52 PERCENT OF CYA FUNDS WERE SPENT ON INSTITUTIONS AND CAMPS, AND 32.7 PERCENT WERE USED FOR CRIME PREVENTION AND COMMUNITY SERVICES. IN 1978, FIRST COMMITMENTS OF YOUTHS TO THE CYA ROSE TO 3,776, A 4 PERCENT INCREASE OVER 1977. MUCH LARGER NUMBERS OF FIRST COMMITMENTS IN THE EARLY 1960'S WERE DECREASED BY NEW PROBATION LEGISLATION PASSED IN 1967. IN 1978, FIRST COMMITMENTS MOST FREQUENTLY OCCURRED FOR BURGLARY, ROBBERY, OR ASSAULT, AND THE AVERAGE STAY WAS 11.3 MONTHS. SIMILAR TO FEMALE CYA WARDS, MOST MALE WARDS CAME FROM LOW- OR MIDDLE- INCOME NEIGHBORHOODS OF MODERATE- TO HIGH-LEVEL DELINQUENCY, WERE ETHNIC MINORITIES, HAD FAMILIES ON PUBLIC ASSISTANCE, AND HAD A CLOSE RELATIVE WITH A CRIMINAL RECORD. THE REPORT CONTAINS CHARTS, A LIST OF CYA INSTITUTIONS AND PAROLE OFFICES, AND EXTENSIVE STATISTICAL DATA. (PAP)