THE REPORT OPENS WITH A SCHEMATIC DIAGRAM SHOWING THE ORGANIZATION OF THE VARIOUS TREATMENT PROGRAMS AND OTHER SERVICES WITHIN THE JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM. THE JURISDICTION OF THE SYSTEM IS DISCUSSED, AND AN OVERVIEW OF REFERRALS TO THE JUVENILE COURT IN 1977 IS PRESENTED. THE ROLE OF EACH COMPONENT OF THE JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM IS EXPLAINED, AND STATISTICS ON THE ACTIVITIES AND CLIENTS OF EACH COMPONENT ARE PRESENTED. THE COMPONENTS ARE THE YOUTH DIVERSION PROJECT, DIAGNOSTIC AND DETENTION CENTER, HOMEFINDING/EMERGENCY SHELTER UNIT, PROTECTIVE SERVICES DEPARTMENT, HOME DETENTION PROGRAM, PSYCHOLOGICAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT, METROPOLITAN SOCIAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT (MSSD), PROBATION DEPARTMENT, VOLUNTEER PROBATION PROGRAM, AND TWO RESIDENTIAL PROGRAMS FOR DELINQUENTS. STATISTICS ON JUVENILE COURT REFERRALS INCLUDE AGE, SEX, RACE, REASON REFERRED, DISPOSITION, TREATMENT, SCHOOL STATUS, ECONOMIC STATUS OF FAMILY, AND FAMILY STRUCTURE. SIMILAR STATISTICS ARE PRESENTED FOR EACH PLANNING AREA WITHIN THE COUNTY. THE REPORT SHOWS THAT THERE WERE 7,452 REFERRALS TO THE JUVENILE COURT IN 1977 REPRESENTING 5,644 INDIVIDUALS. THERE WERE OVER 600 FEWER REFERRALS IN 1977 THAN IN 1976, A DECREASE OF 7.6 PERCENT. THE DECREASE IN REFERRALS WAS 10 PERCENT FOR BLACKS, 7 PERCENT FOR WHITES. THE RATIO OF MALE TO FEMALE REFERRALS WAS 70 PERCENT TO 30 PERCENT, AND THE RATIO OF WHITES TO BLACKS WAS 69 PERCENT TO 31 PERCENT. THE FIVE LEADING REASONS FOR REFERRAL WERE BURGLARY, THEFT UNDER $100, THEFT OVER $100, DISORDERLY CONDUCT, AND NEGLECT. TOGETHER, THESE REASONS ACCOUNTED FOR OVER 47 PERCENT OF THE REFERRALS. WHITE FEMALES WERE REFERRED MOST OFTEN FOR RUNNING AWAY (21.8 PERCENT), THEFT UNDER $100 (14.9 PERCENT) AND NEGLECT (11.7 PERCENT). BLACK FEMALES WERE REFERRED MOST FREQUENTLY FOR THEFT UNDER $100 (29.5 PERCENT), NEGLECT (15.6 PERCENT), AND RUNNING AWAY (7.5 PERCENT). BURGLARY WAS THE MAJOR REASON FOR REFERRAL FOR BOTH BLACK AND WHITE MALES (15.7 PERCENT FOR WHITES, 20.1 PERCENT FOR BLACKS). OTHER FREQUENT REASONS FOR REFERRAL FOR WHITE MALES WERE ALCOHOL/DRINKING VIOLATIONS AND THEFT OVER $100. FOR BLACK MALES, OTHER FREQUENT REASONS WERE THEFT UNDER $100 AND THEFT OVER $100. OVERALL, MINOR PROPERTY AND SOCIAL CONTROL OFFENSES CONTINUED TO DECREASE, WHILE PHYSICAL HARM TO INDIVIDUALS AND MAJOR PROPERTY REFERRALS CONTINUED TO INCREASE. THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN STATUS OFFENSES, AS A RESULT OF THE DECREASE IN TRUANCY REFERRALS THAT FOLLOWED IMPLEMENTATION OF COURT-ORDERED BUSING. THE REPORT ALSO COVERS THE MSSD'S FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE SERVICES AND NUTRITIONAL PROGRAM FOR THE ELDERLY. THE SECTION ON THE JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM INCLUDES 26 TABLES AND 14 FIGURES. (LKM)