THE STRATEGY FOR REDUCING JUVENILE DELINQUENCY IN SWEDEN INCLUDES NOT ONLY CONSTRUCTIVE RESPONSE TO DEVIANT BEHAVIOR AFTER IT HAS OCCURRED, BUT INVOLVES EFFORTS TO REMEDY ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS BELIEVED TO BE CONDUCIVE TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF DELINQUENCY PATTERNS. LEGISLATION STIPULATES THAT CRIMINAL CASES INVOLVING YOUTHS AGED 15 TO 18 YEARS (SOMETIMES 20) MAY BE REFERRED TO SOCIAL SERVICE AGENCIES. ALTHOUGH JUVENILES IN THIS AGE GROUP ARE CRIMINALLY RESPONSIBLE, THEY ARE RARELY CONVICTED AND SENTENCED UNDER THE PENAL CODE. SOCIAL SERVICE AGENCIES ARE ENTRUSTED WITH THE RESPONSIBILITY OF INVESTIGATING A YOUTH'S CIRCUMSTANCES AND WORKING WITH THE YOUTH AND HIS/HER FAMILY SO AS TO INVOLVE THE YOUTH IN A NETWORK OF PROGRAMS APPROPRIATE FOR HIS/HER NEEDS. VOLUNTARY PARTICIPATION BY THE YOUTH IS CONSIDERED ESSENTIAL TO SUCCESS. CORRECTIONAL SCHOOLS, WHICH IMPOSE A SYSTEM OF PARTIAL CONFINEMENT, HAVE BEEN USED AS A LAST RESORT. PREVENTIVE EFFORTS HAVE TAKEN THE FOLLOWING FORMS: (1) THE USE OF SOCIAL SERVICE PROFESSIONALS TO ORGANIZE THE CITIZENS OF 'HIGH-RISK' COMMUNITIES FOR SOCIAL ACTION AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT; (2) GOVERNMENT SUPPORT OF DAY NURSERIES FOR THE CHILDREN OF FAMILIES WHERE BOTH PARENTS WORK OUTSIDE THE HOME; AND (3) SOCIAL EDUCATION FOR PARENTS TO HELP THEM DEVELOP BEHAVIORAL PATTERNS CONDUCIVE TO POSITIVE SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT FOR THEIR CHILDREN. THE OVERALL AIM IS TO DEVELOP SYSTEMS OF ORGANIZATION WHICH WILL ENSURE THE BEST POSSIBLE USE OF AVAILABLE RESOURCES WITH A FLEXIBILITY THAT SERVES INDIVIDUAL NEEDS AND CIRCUMSTANCES. EXPERIMENTS ARE CURRENTLY BEING CONDUCTED WHICH ARE DESIGNED TO PRODUCE A NEW TYPE OF CORRECTIONAL SCHOOL THAT WILL SERVE THE ENDS OF REHABILITATION. (RCB)