FACILITIES OF THE COUNSELING PROGRAM, LOCATED IN THE COURTHOUSE, SERVE AS THE LOCUS FOR INTAKE INTERVIEWS, GROUP SESSIONS, AND TRAINING SEMINARS. YOUTH ON CONSENT DECREE OR PROBATION ARE ASSIGNED TO A SPECIFIC GROUP THAT MEETS TWICE A WEEK FOR 1-HOUR SESSIONS. THE CONTENT OF GROUP SESSIONS VARIES AMONG GROUPS AND FROM SESSION TO SESSION. THE IMPACT OF THE PROGRAM ON RECIDIVISM WAS EVALUATED USING TWO SAMPLES: PARTICIPANTS SELECTED IN 1974 AND CASES ASSIGNED TO THE PROGRAM DURING 1974 AND 1975. AMONG 233 YOUTH IN THE FIRST SAMPLE FOR WHOM A MATCH WAS DESIRED, 191 OR 82 PERCENT WERE MATCHED SUCCESSFULLY TO PERSONS ON REGULAR PROBATION AND RETRACED IN A 2-YEAR FOLLOWUP. THE SECOND SAMPLE INCLUDED 30 FEMALE AND 147 MALE PAIRS AND WAS CHOSEN TO OBTAIN A RANGE IN ADJUDICATION DATES. COURT RECORDS FOR THE 358 CASES WERE RETRIEVED 1 YEAR AFTER PLACEMENT EITHER IN THE COUNSELING PROGRAM OR ON REGULAR PROBATION. THE MATCHED-PAIR DESIGN OF THE STUDY ALLOWED THE ASSESSMENT OF THE RELATIVE EFFECTS OF THE COUNSELING PROGRAM WHILE CONTROLLING FOR TREATMENT DURATION. YOUTH IN THE COUNSELING PROGRAM BETWEEN 3 AND 6 MONTHS HAD LOWER RECIDIVISM RATES, AS MEASURED BY THE NUMBER ARRESTED AND BY THE NUMBER ADJUDICATED DELINQUENT WITHIN 1 YEAR AFTER PLACEMENT. COMPARISONS ON THESE AND OTHER MEASURES OF IMPACT DID NOT FAVOR COUNSELING PROGRAM TREATMENT AMONG PAIRS WHO REMAINED IN THE PROGRAM LONGER THAN 6 MONTHS. USING FIGURES FROM 1976, ESTIMATES SHOWED THAT THE COUNSELING PROGRAM WAS MORE COST EFFECTIVE THAN REGULAR PROBATION. THE IMPLICATIONS OF CORRECTIONAL GROUP COUNSELING FOR CRIMINAL JUSTICE EVALAUTION ARE DISCUSSED. FOOTNOTES ARE INCLUDED. (DEP)