THE TOTAL NUMBER OF OFFENSES IN ONTARIO INCREASED VERY LITTLE BETWEEN 1976 AND 1977; THIS WAS PARTICULARLY THE CASE FOR CRIMINAL CODE OFFENSES. TRENDS IN CRIMINAL OCCURRENCES OVER THE 5-YEAR PERIOD BETWEEN 1973 AND 1977 SHOWED SOME INCREASES UNTIL 1975 AND A LEVELING OFF BETWEEN 1975 AND 1977. CRIME PATTERNS VARIED CONSIDERABLY BY GEOGRAPHIC AREA AND BY SPECIFIC OFFENSE CATEGORY. THE METROPOLITAN AREA OF TORONTO ACCOUNTED FOR NEARLY HALF OF ALL CHARGES RECEIVED AND DISPOSED OF BY PROVINCIAL COURTS. THROUGHOUT THE PROVINCE, CHARGES UNDER MUNICIPAL BYLAWS AND THE HIGHWAY TRAFFIC ACT ACCOUNTED FOR 84 PERCENT OF ALL CHARGES RECEIVED; CRIMINAL CODE OFFENSES ACCOUNTED FOR ONLY 8 PERCENT. THE REMAINING 8 PERCENT OF CHARGES RECEIVED BY COURTS FELL INTO CATEGORIES UNDER OTHER PROVINCIAL AND FEDERAL STATUTES. INCREASING USE OF VARIOUS FORMS OF COMMUNITY SUPERVISION OCCURRED OVER THE 6-YEAR PERIOD FROM 1973 TO 1977. BETWEEN 50 PERCENT AND 60 PERCENT OF THE POPULATION INCARCERATED IN PROVINCIAL JAILS AND INSTITUTIONS TENDED TO BE BETWEEN 16 AND 24 YEARS OF AGE. A DECLINE IS PROJECTED BY 1986 IN THE POPULATION BETWEEN 15 AND 19 YEARS OF AGE, PARTICULARLY IN RURAL AREAS. ONE RESULT MAY BE A LOWERING IN THE DEMAND PLACED ON INSTITUTIONS IN THE CORRECTIONAL SYSTEM. DATA COLLECTION PROCEDURES AND MEASUREMENT PROBLEMS ARE DISCUSSED, AND EXTENSIVE TABULAR DATA ARE PROVIDED. SOURCES OF DATA ARE LISTED IN AN APPENDIX. (DEP)