The residential facility population declined slightly over the course of 1979, beginning at 1,891 and dropping to 1,775 at the close of the year. The 'typical' new case was a 15-year-old nonwhite male juvenile delinquent, placed in a noncommunity-based program. The majority of youth were 14-15 years old. Blacks constituted 72.7 percent of all juvenile offender first admissions, but only 39.3 percent of other adjudications, Hispanics accounted for 19.5 percent of juvenile offender first admissions and only 9 percent of other admissions, and whites represented only 7.8 percent of the juvenile offender group but 50.3 percent of all other adjudications. Among juvenile delinquents and juvenile offenders, the largest offense category was misdemeanor. One-fourth of all admissions were from New York City, and one-eighth were from Erie County. The majority of all female first admissions were white, with about three-fourths placed in community-based programs. Data focus on client population changes, characteristics of different types of admissions, and first admissions. The report also covers absconding incidents (1977-79) in residential programs, population projection strategies and levels, and bed needs. Additional tables are appended. (Author summary modified)