IN ATTEMPTING TO DEVELOP APPROPRIATE CRITERIA FOR FAMILY COURT INTAKE, JUVENILE INTENSIVE SUPERVISION, ADJUDICATED DELINQUENT RESTITUTION, AND DISPOSITIONAL ALTERNATIVE PROGRAMS, A STUDY OF 479 JUVENILE CASES FROM JANUARY TO APRIL 1978 WAS INITIATED. A MULTIPLE RECIDIVIST WAS DEFINED AS A JUVENILE WHO HAD SIX OR MORE RECORDED ARRESTS. THE 479 CASES WERE CHECKED AGAINST PROBATION DIVERSION UNIT AND POLICE RECORDS TO IDENTIFY MULTIPLE RECIDIVISTS, AND 58 CASES MET THE CRITERION USED FOR THE DEFINITION OF A MULTIPLE RECIDIVIST. INFORMATION ABOUT THE 58 JUVENILES WAS CATEGORIZED ACCORDING TO 71 VARIABLES. BECAUSE CASE FILES CONTAINED INSUFFICIENT INFORMATION OR WERE UNAVAILABLE AT THE TIME OF DATA COLLECTION IN 6 CASES, 52 CASES WERE LEFT FOR DETAILED EXAMINATION. THE MULTIPLE RECIDIVIST POPULATION WAS EVALUATED IN TERMS OF RACE, FATHER'S EDUCATION, MOTHER'S EDUCATION, INCOME, SOURCE OF INCOME, NUMBER OF SIBLINGS, PSYCHOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS, PHYSIOLOGICAL DISABILITIES, BEHAVIORAL TENDENCIES, OTHER FAMILY MEMBERS KNOWN TO THE COURT, FAMILY DYSFUNCTION, BASE FAMILY STRUCTURE, BASE FUNCTIONAL BREAKDOWN (PARENTAL), GRADES, SCHOOL BEHAVIORAL PROBLEMS, SHORT-TERM DETENTION, LONG-TERM PLACEMENT, BASE STATUS AT THE TIME OF COURT PETITION, JUVENILE ALCOHOL USE, PARENTAL ALCOHOL ABUSE, RESIDENCE, AND SUPERVISION STATUS. INFORMATION ON THE 52 MULTIPLE RECIDIVISTS WAS COMPARED WITH DATA COLLECTED IN THE COURSE OF A GRANT PROJECT FUNDED BY THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF CORRECTIONS (NIC). BOTH MULTIPLE BURGLAR AND NONMULTIPLE BURGLAR SUBGROUPS OF THE MULTIPLE RECIDIVIST SAMPLE IN SUFFOLK COUNTY AND THE NIC SAMPLE SHOWED STRONG SIMILARITIES IN CERTAIN AREAS, INCLUDING FAMILY STRUCTURE, FUNCTIONAL BREAKDOWN IN ONE OR BOTH PARENTS, PARENTAL ALCOHOL ABUSE, AND SCHOOL BEHAVIORAL PROBLEMS RELATED TO ATTENDANCE AND OTHER NONVIOLENT BEHAVIOR. THE MOST DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTIC OF THE MULTIPLE BURGLAR SUBGROUP WAS ECONOMIC DEPRIVATION, WHILE THE NONMULTIPLE BURGLAR SUBGROUP WAS CHARACTERIZED BY THE LEVEL AND SEVERITY OF JUVENILE AND FAMILIAL EMOTIONAL DISTRUBANCE AND DYSFUNCTION. WITH RESPECT TO THE SEVERITY OF OFFENSES COMMITTED BY THE MULTIPLE RECIDIVIST POPULATION IN GENERAL, 51.2 PERCENT OF SUBSEQUENT OFFENSES WERE FELONY OFFENSES. POSSIBLE MODIFICATIONS OR PROCEDURAL CHANGES THAT SHOULD BE CONSIDERED WITHIN SUFFOLK COUNTY'S JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM ARE DISCUSSED. REFERENCES AND SUPPORTING DATA ARE PROVIDED. (DEP)