STATISTICS ON CRIMES AND ARRESTS INCLUDE DATA ON CRIMES AGAINST PERSONS AND AGAINST PROPERTY, TOTAL ARRESTS, ADULT FELONY ARRESTS, ADULT MISDEMEANOR ARRESTS, JUVENILE ARRESTS, AND THE CHARACTERISTICS OF ARRESTED PERSONS. ADULT CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM STATISTICS COVER DISPOSITIONS, CHARACTERISTICS OF DEFENDANTS, AND ADULT CORRECTIONS AND PROBATION. JUVENILE JUSTICE ADMINISTRATION STATISTICS INCLUDE JUVENILE ARRESTS, REFERRALS TO PROBATION, JUVENILE COURT DISPOSITIONS, PROBATION CASELOAD, REMOVALS FROM PROBATION, AND JUVENILE DETENTION AND CORRECTIONS. THE REPORT ALSO INCLUDES SUMMARIES OF SPECIAL STUDIES UNDERTAKEN BY THE CALIFORNIA BUREAU OF CRIMINAL STATISTICS. THE DATA SHOW THAT, IN 1976, CRIMES REPORTED FOR THE 7 MOST SERIOUS OFFENSES INCREASED 3.6 PERCENT OVER 1975. THE INCREASE FOR 1974 TO 1975 WAS 9.1 PERCENT. FOR THE FOURTH CONSECUTIVE YEAR, THEFT OF $200 OR MORE SHOWED THE LARGEST PERCENT INCREASE OF ALL REPORTED CRIMES. WILLFUL HOMICIDES INCREASED ONLY 0.8 PERCENT, SIGNIFICANTLY LESS THAN THE 8.6-PERCENT AVERAGE ANNUAL INCREASE FOR 1971 TO 1975. BOTH BURGLARY AND ROBBERY SHOWED DECREASES FOR THE FIRST TIME IN AT LEAST 15 YEARS. ATTENTION IS DRAWN TO THE IMPACT OF NEW MARIJUANA LAWS ON THE PROCESSING OF ADULTS AND JUVENILES AT THE LAW ENFORCEMENT, PROSECUTION, AND COURT LEVELS. THE LAWS, WHICH MADE POSSESSION OF SMALL QUANTITIES OF MARIJUANA A MISDEMEANOR RATHER THAN A FELONY, CONTRIBUTED TO AN OVERALL DECREASE OF 18.4 PERCENT IN THE RATE OF FELONY ARRESTS PER 100,000 POPULATION, AND TO A 6.2-PERCENT INCREASE IN TOTAL MISDEMEANOR ARRESTS. A GLOSSARY AND 42 TABLES AND CHARTS ARE INCLUDED.