THE YOUTH SERVICE BUREAU IS VIEWED NATIONALLY AS A MAJOR INSTRUMENTALITY IN THE DIVERSION OF LAW VIOLATING YOUTH FROM THE JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM. DUE TO THE RAPID EXPANSION IN THE NUMBER OF YSB'S, INFORMATION ON THE PROGRAMS, GOALS, AND OPERATIONS OF THE BUREAUS WAS INCOMPLETE. THIS PHASE I ASSESSMENT OF YSB'S WAS DESIGNED TO FILL THE GAP IN KNOWLEDGE ABOUT YSB'S. DATA FOR THIS ASSESSMENT WAS GATHERED BY SUCH MEANS AS A LITERATURE REVIEW; SEARCHING OF THE GRANTS MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEM; ANALYSIS OF SELECTED PROVISIONS OF JUVENILE CODES; TELEPHONE INTERVIEWS WITH STATE PLANNING AGENCY STAFF; TELEPHONE INTERVIEWS WITH YSB STAFF; AND SITE VISITS TO SELECTED YSB PROJECTS. THE ASSESSMENT FOCUSED ON SUCH ISSUES AS THE USE OF DISCRETION IN JUVENILE JUSTICE; THE ROLE OF DIVERSION IN THE YSB'S; THE USE OF YSB'S TO EXTEND JUVENILE COURT JURISDICTION; THE POTENTIAL COERCIVENESS OF REFERRAL TO A YSB; AND THE CONTROL OF YSB'S BY THE JUSTICE SYSTEM. THE ASSESSMENT ALSO CONTAINS A REVIEW OF YSB EVALUATION LITERATURE AND A FRAMEWORK FOR ASSESSMENT OF THE EFFECTIVENESS OF YSB'S. THE STUDY FOUND THAT ALMOST ANY TYPE OF YOUTH-SERVING PROGRAM CAN CALL ITSELF A YSB; FURTHERMORE, IT WAS FOUND THAT A VARIETY OF INSTITUTIONAL, COMMUNITY, AND OTHER PRESSURES PUSH YSB'S INTO THE DELIVERY OF DIRECT SERVICES, OVERRESPONSIVENESS TO JUSTICE SYSTEM DEMANDS, AND POTENTIALLY COERCIVE AND STIGMATIZING PRACTICES AS EXTENSIONS OF THE JUSTICE SYSTEM, WHILE PUSHING BUREAUS AWAY FROM SYSTEMS OR INSTITUTIONAL CHANGE AND AGGRESSIVE CASE OR CLASS ADVOCACY. IN PARTICULAR, THE REPORT STRESSES THAT DIVERSION, AS PRACTICED BY YSB'S, HAS RESULTED IN ENTRAPMENT OF SIGNIFICANT NUMBERS OF MINOR OFFENDERS WHO PREVIOUSLY EVADED CONTACT WITH THE SYSTEM. THE NEED FOR ASSESSMENT AND IMPROVEMENT OF THE YSB AND DIVERSION SYSTEMS IN THE UNITED STATES IS EMPHASIZED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)...DMC