The project, which is sponsored by the State's League of Women Voters, began in March 1979 under a 6-month planning grant from the Illinois Law Enforcement Commission. It aims to provide a framework in which citizens may observe juvenile courts; to measure juvenile court operations against the requirements of the Juvenile Court Act; and to educate communities in the goals and problems of these courts. Reasons and procedures for watching courts are detailed, and a brief juvenile court history is provided which describes the special terminology, services, and the place of juvenile courts in the court system. The handbook defines the categories of persons who appear in the courtroom and a flow chart of the steps in the juvenile court process is provided. Procedures are detailed for taking and holding in custody delinquents, minors in need of supervision, and neglected and dependent children. The preliminary conferences and transfer hearings which may take place in certain cases prior to the full adjudicatory hearings are also discussed. Final chapters explain the purposes, scheduling, procedures, and outcomes of delinquency, minor-in-need-of-supervision, and neglect and dependency proceedings. Appendixes contain a sample petition, a list of significant State statutes applicable to minors, a comparative chart on minors committed as delinquents versus those committed as felonw, and information on the confidentiality requirements in juvenile justice. A glossary, bibliography, and suggested reading list are included.