THE YOUTH AND LAW PROGRAM AND CLASS DEVELOPED BY THE FRESNO COUNTY, CALIFORNIA PROBATION DEPARTMENT'S YOUTH DEVELOPMENT AND COMMUNITY EDUCATION UNIT WAS AUTHORIZED IN 1974. THE INITIAL PROGRAM DEVELOPED INCLUDED A LECTURE ON THE HISTORY OF JUVENILE COURT LAW AND A DESCRIPTION OF THE JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM, INCLUDING ARREST AND BOOKING PROCEDURES, AN OVERVIEW OF THE ACTIVITIES GENERALLY KNOWN TO LEAD JUVENILES INTO THE DELINQUENCY, AND SOME BRIEF EXPLANATIONS OF PARTICULAR SECTIONS OF THE CALIFORNIA EDUCATION, PENAL, HEALTH, AND SAFETY, AND WELFARE AND INSTITUTIONS CODE SPECIFICIALLY RELATING TO JUVENILES. A SLIDE PRESENTATION DEPICTED A MINOR BEING PROCESSED FROM THE POINT OF INITIAL ARREST THROUGH BOOKING INTO JUVENILE HALL, SUBSEQUENT JUVENILE COURT PROCEEDINGS, AND POSSIBLE DISPOSITIONAL ALTERNATIVES. AFTER BEING APPROVED BY THE APPROPRIATE SCHOOL AUTHORITIES, THE PROGRAM WAS PRESENTED TO 8,000 STUDENTS IN APPROXIMATELY 80 SCHOOLS IN THE COUNTY. IN ADDITION TO THE PROGRAM PRESENTED TO STUDENTS, A 3-HOUR LONG YOUTH AND LAW CLASS WAS BEGUN IN 1976 FOR YOUTH CONTACTING THE JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM AND THEIR PARENTS TO PROVIDE FACTUAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE LAW AND JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM. THE REFERRAL PROCESS AND PROGRAM CONTENT ARE DESCRIBED. THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE CLASS WAS EVALUATED BY TRACKING 515 MINORS WHO HAD ATTENDED THE CLASS BETWEEN SEPTEMBER 22, 1976 AND MARCH 22, 1977. THIS GROUP WAS COMPARED WITH A SIMILAR GROUP OF FIRST OFFENDERS WHO HAD BEEN IN PROBATION SUPERVISION BETWEEN SEPTEMBER 18, 1975 THROUGH JANUARY 31, 1976, AGAINST WHOM NO PETITION HAD BEEN FILED. WHEREAS, OF THE 379 SUBJECTS FORMING THE CONTROL GROUP, 108 (29 PERCENT) RECIDIVATED WITHIN 6 MONTHS OF INITIAL ARREST, ONLY 72 (16 PERCENT) OF THE 443 MINORS SUCCESSFULLY TRACKED OUT OF THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP (N=515) RECIDIVATED. THE PROGRAM AND CLASS ARE ALSO USED IN THE TRAINING OF PROFESSIONAL PERSONNEL ASSOCIATED WITH THE JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM. (RCB)