THE STATEMENT CONTINUES BY DEFINING STATUS OFFENSES AS THOSE ACTS COMMITTED BY CHILDREN WHICH WOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED CRIMES IF COMMITTED BY ADULTS, BUT WHICH SUBJECT CHILDREN TO THE JURISDICTION OF THE JUVENILE COURT. OF THE APPROXIMATELY 600,000 CHILDREN HELD EACH YEAR IN SECURE DETENTION PENDING A COURT HEARING, MORE THAN ONE-THIRD ARE STATUS OFFENDERS. OF THE 85,000 YOUTHS COMMITTED EACH YEAR TO CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTIONS, 23 PERCENT OF THE BOYS AND 70 PERCENT OF THE GIRLS ARE STATUS OFFENDERS. THIS IS CALLED UNWARRANTED PUNISHMENT, DISPROPORTIONATE TO THE HARM DONE BY THE CHILD'S NONCRIMINAL BEHAVIOR. RECENT RESEARCH SHOWS THAT STATUS OFFENDERS ARE INCARCERATED AS LONG AS, OR LONGER THAN, CHILDREN WHO ARE COMMITTED FOR FELONIES. ALSO, THOSE CHILDREN WHO ARE INSTITUTIONALIZED HAVE GREATER RECIDIVISM RATES AND LESSENED CHANGE FOR REHABILITATION. JUVENILE COURTS ARE URGED TO CONFINE THEIR EFFORTS TO CRIMINAL CASES. IT IS INDICATED THAT STATUS OFFENSE CASES ARE REFERRED TO THE COURT ONLY BECAUSE THE COURT HAS JURISDICTION; IF THE COURT DID NOT ACT, OTHER PUBLIC AGENCIES WOULD HANDLE THE PROBLEM. A BIBLIOGRAPHY IS INCLUDED. (GLR)