THE REPORT OPENS WITH CHARTS DEPICTING ORGANIZATION AND CASE FLOW IN THE MARYLAND JUVENILE SERVICES ADMINISTRATION, THE BRANCH OF THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND MENTAL HYGIENE THAT HANDLES JUVENILE INTAKE AND CORRECTIONS. STATISTICS ON THE ADMINISTRATION'S BUDGET EXPENDITURES DURING FISCAL 1978 ARE ALSO PROVIDED. SEPARATE SECTIONS PRESENT NARRATIVE HIGHLIGHTS AND DETAILED TABULAR DATA ON JUVENILE COURT SERVICES (NUMBER AND TYPE OF CASES, DISPOSITIONS, METHOD OF HANDLING, SOURCE OF REFERRAL, ETC.--BY REGION AND COUNTY), COMMUNITY-BASED SERVICES (PLACEMENTS IN PURCHASE-OF-CARE FACILITIES, GROUP HOMES, AND OTHER COMMUNITY-BASED RESIDENTAL AND NONRESIDENTAL PROGRAMS), AND INSTITUTIONAL SERVICES (ADMISSIONS TO THE STATE'S TRAINING SCHOOLS, DETENTION CENTERS, AND FORESTRY CAMPS). EACH SECTION INCLUDES COMPARATIVE DATA FOR 1969 THROUGH 1978. OF 47,286 CASES HANDLED BY THE JUVENILE SERVICES ADMINISTRATION IN FISCAL 1978, 49.8 PERCENT WERE DISAPPROVED OR CLOSED AT INTAKE, 37.1 PERCENT RECEIVED FORMAL COURT ACTION, AND 13.1 PERCENT WERE HANDLED INFORMALLY AT INTAKE. THERE WAS A 29.4-PERCENT INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF CASES HANDLED INFORMALLY, AND DECREASES IN THE NUMBERS DISMISSED AT INTAKE AND HANDLED FORMALLY. THE DOWNWARD TREND IN TOTAL CASES THAT BEGAN IN FISCAL 1977 CONTINUED IN 1978. NEARLY 74 PERCENT OF ALL CASES WERE REFERRED BY THE POLICE. DELINQUENT OFFENSES ACCOUNTED FOR 85.3 PERCENT OF ALL CASES. FOLLOWING A DECLINE IN FISCAL 1977, PLACEMENTS IN COMMUNITY-BASED PROGRAMS INCREASED 8 PERCENT IN 1978. (LKM)