THE METHODOLOGY INVOLVED IN PREPARING THIS STUDY CONSISTED OF A MULTI-STEP PROCESS. THE NATIONAL ADVISORY COMMISSION ON CRIMINAL JUSTICE STANDARDS AND GOALS (NAC) AND AMERICAN BAR ASSOCIATION (ABA) STANDARDS RELATING TO JUVENILE JUSTICE WERE COMPILED AS WERE ALL RELEVANT STATE LAWS AND STATE JUVENILE JUSTICE AGENCY POLICIES AND PROCEDURES. THESE WERE THEN COMPARED AND CURRENT SYSTEM PROBLEMS WERE IDENTIFIED BY UNJUSTIFIABLE DISCREPANCIES. ELEVEN ISSUE STATEMENTS, IN THE FORM OF QUESTIONS ABOUT SPECIFIC INADEQUACIES IDENTIFIED IN THE PRESENT SYSTEM, WERE DEVELOPED AND DATA NEEDED TO ANSWER THE STATEMENTS WERE OBTAINED. THE MULTI-YEAR PLAN WAS DRAWN UP IN THE CONTEXT OF RECOMMENDATIONS INCORPORATED INTO THE ISSUE PAPERS. FOR THE FULL TEXT OF THE STUDY, SEE NCJ-39169 THROUGH 39171. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)...EB