On June 30, 1982, the number of male wards in institutions reached the highest point in the decade. The proportion of male minorities in institutions increased from 60 percent in 1973 to 74 percent in 1982. For females, the proportion increased from 53 percent to 59 percent. The proportion of male wards in institutions on criminal court commitments has fluctuated between 43 and 51 percent during a period from 1973 through 1981. In 1982, it dropped below 42 percent as a result of the Department of the Youth Authority's policy of rejecting the more serious criminal court commitments. For males, the violent offense percentages increased from 50 percent in 1975 to 63 percent in 1982. Female wards in institutions for violent offenses rose from 41 percent in 1975 to 66 percent in 1982. These increases resulted both from increasing numbers and from increasing lengths of incarceration.