INTEREST IN JUVENILE DETENTION HAS STEMMED FROM RECENT CHANGES IN DETENTION POLICIES. UNDER THE JUVENILE JUSTICE AND DELINQUENCY PREVENTION ACT, JUVENILES ARE TO BE REMOVED FROM JAIL WHEN POSSIBLE AND THEIR LENGTH OF DETENTION IS TO BE DECREASED. IN ADDITION, DETENTION OF STATUS OFFENDERS IS TO BE AVOIDED; NO STATUS OFFENDERS ARE TO BE DETAINED FOR MORE THAN 24 HOURS. FINALLY, JUVENILES SHOULD BE PLACED IN NONSECURE FACILITIES IF POSSIBLE; THOSE TO BE DETAINED SHOULD BE SEPARATED FROM ADULTS AND REMOVED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE AFTER THE DETENTION DECISION IS MADE. IN SOUTH CAROLINA, ALL JUVENILE INTAKE AND PROBATION FUNCTIONS HAVE BEEN COMBINED INTO A UNIFIED STATE SYSTEM. DATA COLLECTED MONTHLY FROM SOUTH CAROLINA'S DETENTION FACILITIES COVER AGE, RACE, SEX, ADMISSION DATE AND TIME, AND DISCHARGE DATE AND TIME, FOR EACH JUVENILE HELD. DURING 1978, COUNTIES AND 17 FACILITIES DETAINED A LARGE NUMBER OF JUVENILES. THE PEAK DAY FOR ADMISSIONS WAS TUESDAY; PEAK HOURS EACH DAY WERE 4 P.M. TO 8 P.M. THE MOST FREQUENT AGE DETAINED WAS 16. OF THOSE DETAINED, 72 PERCENT WERE MALE. CRIMINAL OFFENDERS WERE MORE FREQUENTLY DETAINED THAN WERE STATUS OFFENDERS. THE LARGEST NUMBER (37 PERCENT) WERE HELD FOR 0 TO 12 HOURS, BUT 25 PERCENT WERE HELD FOR OVER 48 HOURS. TABLES AND THREE APPENDIXES, GIVING BREAKDOWNS OF JUVENILE OFFENDERS BY AGE AND BY COUNTY FOR BOTH CRIMINAL OFFENSES AND STATUS OFFENSES, ARE INCLUDED. (CFW)