Data for the study came from YA records, interviews with personnel, onsite visits, and existing studies and literature. YA institutions were examined as a whole, and six selected facilities were specifically highlighted. In 1981, the average daily population at YA's institutions surpassed the 5,000 mark, 27-percent higher than in 1976. The number of new admissions to YA increased nearly 15 percent between 1976 and 1981, and the average length of stay for institutionalized YA wards rose from a low of 10.9 months in 1977 to 13.1 months in 1981. Severely crowded conditions cause stress among wards and staff, strain YA's program resources, and reduce YA's rehabilitative effectiveness. Two viable means of reducing overcrowding are to reduce the lengths of institutional stay or to send fewer people to YA (by emphasizing alternatives to incarceration). Tables, footnotes, a glossary, and about 75 references are supplied. (Author summary modified)