Three reports in the 1980s documented extreme brutality and the lack of meaningful treatment in juvenile custodial institutions managed by the CYA. A more recent report found that the "wards" of the CYA often lived in constant fear of gang-related attacks. Again in the fall of 2004 a report on CYA institutions documented extreme brutality, suicides, and demeaning physical conditions that belied CYA's lofty mission statement. Media accounts continue to describe brutal and inhumane conditions inside the statewide juvenile prison system. Finally, an audit by the Office of the Inspector General was released in January 2005, accusing the CYA of "failing to give offenders the education and training that could save them from a life of crime." Assessments of juvenile custodial institutions in other States also bear witness to the failure of the juvenile custodial regimes to provide a therapeutic environment. This is confirmed by recidivism data on juveniles released from correctional institutions in many States. The research is clear in showing that recidivism rates are significantly lower among juveniles who receive dispositions other than imprisonment in custodial institutions. Apparently little progress has been made from the abusive conditions of the early houses of refuge for children and youth. Treatment programs and humane conditions designed to address criminogenic needs and promote responsible behavior continue to be rare where delinquents are housed. 1 table and 83 notes