SPONSORED JOINTLY BY THE OFFICE OF JUVENILE JUSTICE AND DELINQUENCY PREVENTION AND THE OFFICE OF YOUTH DEVELOPMENT, THE REPORT IS BASED ON INTERVIEWS WITH OFFICIALS OF THE UTAH COUNCIL ON CRIMINAL JUSTICE ADMINISTRATION AND OTHER STATE AGENCIES INVOLVED IN THE JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM AND YOUTH SERVICES, AS WELL AS WITH LOCAL OFFICIALS IN THREE OF UTAH'S 29 COUNTIES. IT FOUND THAT APPROXIMATELY 10 PERCENT OF THE STATE'S ONLY DELINQUENCY INSTITUTION CONSISTS OF STATUS OFFENDERS, WITH THIS SITUATION LIKELY TO CONTINUE. RECENT LEGISLATION HAS TRANSFERRED RESPONSIBILITY FOR UNGOVERNABLE AND RUNAWAY YOUTHS TO THE STATE DIVISION OF FAMILY SERVICES (LEAVING ONLY RESIDUAL AUTHORITY WITH THE JUVENILE COURTS); THE EFFECT OF THIS PROCESS ON NEED AND COST FOR INSTITUTIONALIZATION OR ALTERNATIVES CANNOT BE EVALUATED SINCE THE NEW ACT ONLY WENT INTO EFFECT ON MAY 11, 1977. OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS, THE NUMBER OF COURT REFERRALS FOR STATUS OFFENDERS HAS SUBSTANTIALLY DECREASED. USE OF DETENTION FOR STATUS OFFENDERS HAS DECREASED BY ROUGHLY ONE FOURTH DESPITE AN OVERALL INCREASE IN THE USE OF DETENTION, AND COMMITMENTS TO THE YOUTH DEVELOPMENT CENTER HAVE BEEN REDUCED BY ABOUT 75 PERCENT. DUE TO THE STATE'S EMPHASIS ON PARENTAL RESPONSIBILITY, FOSTER CARE AND GROUP HOMES DO NOT APPEAR TO HAVE GROWN IN A MANNER COMMENSURATE WITH THE REDUCED USE OF DETENTION AND CORRECTIONAL FACILITIES FOR STATUS OFFENDERS. THE STUDY INCLUDES THE NUMERICAL DATA DERIVED FROM INTERVIEWS.