THE DATA COVERED A 19-MONTH PERIOD FOR COMMITMENTS AND RELEASES AND A 12-MONTH PERIOD FOR AVERAGE LENGTH OF STAY. THE DATA INDICATE THAT THE COMMITMENT RATE HAS EXCEEDED THE RELEASE RATE BY 5 PERCENT FOR THE OVERALL 19-MONTH DATA PERIOD. THE AVERAGE LENGTH OF STAY REFLECTS A 2.1 MONTH INCREASE WITHIN THE 12-MONTH PERIOD. THESE FACTORS WERE PRIMARILY RESPONSIBLE FOR AN INCREASE IN LEARNING CENTER POPULATIONS. IN ADDITION, A STAFF SURVEY WAS CONDUCTED INCLUDING 136 PERSONAL INTERVIEWS WITH PERSONNEL THROUGHOUT THE YOUTH REGION. QUESTIONS WERE ASKED REGARDING CHANGES IN AMOUNT OF AGGRESSIVE (HOSTILE) AND ASSAULTIVE (VIOLENT) BEHAVIOR. RESULTS INDICATE THAT THE JUVENILE POPULATION IS PERCEIVED AS BEING MORE VERBALLY AND PHYSICALLY AGGRESSIVE THAN FORMER POPULATIONS. JUVENILES SEEMED TO BE MORE VERBALLY ASSAULTIVE BUT LESS PHYSICALLY ASSAULTIVE THAN PAST POPULATIONS. MOREOVER, JUVENILES WERE HELD TO BE MORE DIFFICULT TO CONTROL, MORE AWARE OF THEIR LEGAL RIGHTS, AND COMPLETELY UNAFFECTED BY ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGES IN THE DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS. STAFF SUGGEST THAT THE COMMITMENT AND RELEASE RATE FOR THE CONFINED LEARNING CENTER POPULATION SHOULD BE MONITORED ON A MONTHLY BASIS SO THAT CHANGES IN EITHER RATE COULD BE BETTER EVALUATED. DOUBLE COVERAGE SHOULD BE MAINTAINED IN ALL HOUSING UNITS DURING PRIME EVENING HOURS TO EASE THE BURDEN ON PROJECT SUPERVISORS. FURTHER STUDIES FOCUS ON HOW TO ALLEVIATE PROGRAM OVERCROWDING AND REDUCE STAFF TURNOVER. FINALLY, TO IMPROVE STATISTICAL RECORDKEEPING, FIELD CLERICAL PERSONNEL SHOULD RECEIVE WRITTEN PROCEDURES FOR THE MAINTENANCE AND REPORTING OF ROUTINE STATISTICAL TABULATIONS. TABULAR DATA ARE INCLUDED; AN APPENDIX CONTAINS THE STAFF SURVEY QUESTIONNAIRE. (PAP)