The history and process of deinstitutionalization are described. One juvenile detention institution, Roslindale, is discussed as a place that represents the worst possible care for children in trouble. Remaining detention units and their regulation are examined. The study also discusses lengthy stays in secure detention, repeated stays in secure detention, inappropriate placement, detention services, detention costs, and the administration of youth services. Some of the major failings of the juvenile system are set forth. Although Massachusetts law permits detention only to assure appearance in court, not one regional detention coordinator interviewed was aware that this was the only legal reason for detention. Over 70 percent of youths in secure detention are not detainees awaiting hearings; committed youngsters are returned to detention particularly if they are 'behavior problems' or if they have run away from a program. Hard-to-place youths remain in secure detention facilities for months at a time; youngsters who are bound-over for trial in adult court wait the longest. Isolation rooms are frequently used for coping with minor rule infractions in secure detention. Recommendations for change that are made in this report follow the standards approved by the American Bar Association. Footnotes are provided. (Author abstract modified)