The study found that as the California youth commitment rate declined to its lowest point in history over the 45 years examined, youth crime rates also declined to a 30-year low, thus discrediting the theory that incapacitating juveniles in correctional facilities contributes to a significant decline in juvenile crime. A county-by-county comparison shows a simultaneous pattern of declining crimes rates and decreasing incarceration rates. An analysis of long-term and short-term trends and county-by-county comparisons does not support the premise that making imprisonment the centerpiece of crime control policy is an effective public safety strategy. These findings support correctional policies that provide expanded alternatives to imprisonment that include rehabilitative and monitoring methods needed to prevent reoffending while providing offenders the resources needed to change their behaviors and attitudes. The study examined crime trends in California from 1960 to the present (2006), with attention to the last 25 years. Data for imprisonments were compared to Statewide crime trends over these years for youth, and over the last 25 years for adults. In addition, county-by-county juvenile commitment rates, both per 100,000 youth and per 1,000 felony arrests, were compared with youth crime trends and levels over the last 12 years. 6 tables, 4 figures, and 43 notes