National data show that detention rates declined between 1974 and 1983, began to increase in 1985, and reached an all-time high in 1989. The rate of admission for males was relatively stable until 1987, when it began to increase sharply. The rate for females declined between 1974 and 1983 and has been on the increase ever since. The numbers and rates of youth incarcerated in detention centers vary significantly among States. Over the last two decades patterns have not changed; the same five States -- California, Ohio, Texas, Florida, and Washington -- account for the majority of youth in detention centers across the Nation. Girls are still locked up for less serious offenses than boys. More and more juveniles are being committed to serve time in detention centers; more detention centers are overcrowded, and these facilities are housing a greater proportion of the juvenile detention center populations. The problem of over-representation of minorities in the system has now reached the point where African-American males compose the largest proportion of the youths confined in secure detention, and costs for secure detention are far outstripping inflation. Overall, the authors conclude that the problems that confronted the system 20 years ago remain unaddressed and are apparently spiraling out of control. 7 tables and a 13-item bibliography