The book is divided into two sections, detention and prevention. The first section on juvenile detention deals with the judicial system at county and State levels. The author points out that repeat juvenile offenders often begin with a pattern of misdemeanor offenses that result in the commission of serious felonies. Juvenile courts follow a series of steps in sentencing. For the first offense, minors may receive a warning or professional counseling. If they continue violating the law, the juvenile court may move toward a more restrictive program of diversion, probation, detention in a juvenile hall, commitment to a county ranch or camp, or sentencing to a State training school for youth. The second section on juvenile delinquency prevention explores why and how juvenile delinquency develops. The influence of parents and peers is stressed, as well as the importance of considering the transition of juveniles from one development phase to another. The impact of emotional disturbance, personality traits, television programming, employment, and school curricula on juvenile delinquency and its prevention are examined. Program support provided by the Office of Criminal Justice Planning is discussed, with emphasis on crisis intervention, victim services, homeless youth, child safety, battered women, employment, and education. 33 references, 4 figures.