The study compared psychiatric symptoms, violent behaviors, and medical histories of an entire 1-year sample of adolescents from the same Connecticut community who were sent either to the correctional school or to the only State hospital adolescent psychiatric unit serving the area. Since both populations came mostly from the area's lowest socioeconomic groups, private hospitalization was seldom available. A total of 63 youths were sent to the correctional school; 35 youths were sent to the adolescent unit. Six youths sent to both institutions were included in the correctional school sample, their ultimate placement. Data sources included official records, all available previous psychological evaluations, and the records of the largest general hospital serving the urban area. Results contradicted the initial hypothesis that the incarcerated group would be equally disturbed but not more violent than the hospitalized group. Violence as well as severe psychiatric symptomatology was equally prominent in the two groups. The most powerful variables distinguishing the groups were race, accidents, injuries (especially head injuries), and sex. Findings indicated clearly that many seriously disturbed, aggressive black adolescents are being channeled to correctional facilities while their equally aggressive white counterparts are directed toward psychiatric treatment facilities. The failure of white mental health professionals to recongnize, diagnose, and treat psychopathology in their black adolescent clients may explain the growing minority population in prisons and reform schools. Tables and 16 references are included.