In 1969 there were 58 reform schools in England and Wales; today only 4 survive, and these are radically different from the previous schools in their emphasis on rehabilitation. Overall, the English juvenile justice system encourages diversion that eliminates formal adjudication for juveniles. This keeps most juveniles away from damaging residential placements and diverts the young and inexperienced offender away from statutory intervention. Even persistent offenders are managed in nonstigmatizing community projects. Many juvenile offenders have no action taken against them, others are cautioned about their behavior, and the remainder participate in minimal community service. Research indicates that this strategy yields a lower recidivism rate than any other strategy tried. Some weaknesses of this system, however, include minimization of the seriousness of chronic delinquency, the absence of individualized dispositions, a confusing range and combination of disposition alternatives, and the lack of attention to 16 and 17 year-olds who graduate to young-offender institutions, which are part of the prison system. 5 references