Conditions are depicted at five facilities: Preston, the Youth Training School, De Witt Nelson, Fred C. Nelles, and Ventura. Poor design of dormitories and dayrooms and severe overcrowding have been major contributions to violence in these facilities. Between 1981-1985, the number of cases of battery without a weapon has increased from 8.1 to 13.6 percent. In addition, the total number of violent incidents reported has exceeded 2,000 annually since 1982 and has involved 25 to 30 percent of the population. Inmate gangs constitute both a source of safety for inmates and a mechanism for sustaining fear and violence within the institutions. Lumping together of property and violent offenders further compounds the problem. To alleviate this situation, it is recommended that the CYA be more selective in its placements, that additional and more manageable facilities be built, and that existing dormitories be retrofitted (including partitioning into individual rooms) to improve those conditions that contribute to psychological instability and violence. Improved diet, meaningful work, and opportunities for social contact also are recommended. Appendexes provide more detailed recommendations for reform, a response to the report from CYA Director James Rowland, and a description departmental responses made as a result of the CYA report.