PROJECT PACT (PARENTS AND CHILDREN TOGETHER), A MONTGOMERY COUNTY, MD., JUVENILE STATUS OFFENDER DIVERSION PROGRAM, WAS ESTABLISHED THROUGH AN LEAA GRANT TO DETERMINE THE SCOPE OF TREATMENT SERVICES FOR STATUS OFFENDERS AND THEIR FAMILIES. PROGRAM OBJECTIVES INCLUDED THE REDUCTION OF CASELOADS FOR YOUTH DIVISION COUNSELORS AND THE COURT DIAGNOSTIC TEAM BY SPECIFIC PERCENTAGES; AND THE REDUCTION OF COURT CASES BY 38 PERCENT AND OF REPEAT OFFENSES BY 10 PERCENT. IN ADDITION, TIME INTERVALS BETWEEN REFERRAL AND INITIAL INTAKE SESSION, AND BETWEEN DECISION OF FINAL DISPOSITION AND IMPLEMENTATION OF THAT DISPOSTION, WERE TO BE REDUCED BY 50 PERCENT. THE NUMBER OF TEMPORARY SHELTER CARE PLACEMENTS WERE TO BE REDUCED BY 5 PERCENT. YOUTH REFERRED TO PROJECT PACT MET THE FOLLOWING CRITERIA (1) THEY WERE STATUS OFFENDERS WITH NONCRIMINAL BEHAVIOR RATHER THAN DELINQUENT OR CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR; (2) THEY WERE NOT UNDER COURT JURISDICTION; (3) THEY HAD NO PENDING DELINQUENCIES. IN THE EVALUATION STUDY THE SAMPLE FOR THE CONTROL GROUP (241) WAS DRAWN RETROSPECTIVELY FROM STATUS OFFENDER CASES REFERRED TO THE JUVENILE SERVICES ADMINISTRATION (JSA) IN THE 6 MONTHS PRIOR TO THE BEGINNING OF PACT AND MET PACT SELECTION CRITERIA. TWO PACT TREATMENT GROUPS (PACT I AND II) WERE CHOSEN DURING THE LAST HALF OF 1977 AND THE FIRST 6 MONTHS OF 1978. INTAKE INVENTORIES AND POSTINTERVENTION INVENTORIES (TAKEN AT 6 MONTH INTERVALS FOR 2 YEARS) WERE STUDIED. FINDINGS INCLUDE A 49 PERCENT REDUCTION OF COURT PETITIONS FOR THE FIRST YEAR OF PACT WHEN COMPARED TO THE YEAR BEFORE, AND A 77 PERCENT REDUCTION DURING THE SECOND PACT YEAR OVER THE YEAR PRIOR TO PACT. THIS CHANGE WAS FURTHER SUPPORTED BY THE LARGE DIFFERENCE IN THE COURT PETITION RATES BETWEEN THE CONTROL GROUP AND PACT I AT THE END OF 1 YEAR. MOREOVER, THERE WERE FEWER RECIDIVATING YOUTH IN PACT II THAN IN PACT I, PERHAPS DUE TO MORE APPROPRIATE REFERRALS AND MORE PROFICIENT STAFF FUNCTIONING AS THE PROJECT PROGRESSED. FURTHER ANALYSIS OF THIS VARIABLE WILL BE UNDERTAKEN TO VERIFY THESE TRENDS. RECOMMENDATIONS INCLUDE MODIFIED HOURS OF OPERATION, INCREASED CLINICAL STAFF, ADDITIONAL SHELTER CARE AND SUPPORT SERVICES FOR SCHOOL-RELATED PROBLEMS, AND EXTENDED TIME FOR SOME CASES. APPENDED DATA INCLUDE DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION, REFERRAL TABLES, AND MONTHLY CASELOAD (TREATMENT AND MANAGEMENT) SUMMARIES. INTAKE AND POSTINTERVENTION INVENTORIES ARE INCLUDED.