A NUMBER OF PERSPECTIVES ON THE RESEARCH QUESTION ARE INTRODUCED AND ARE FOLLOWED BY A DISCUSSION OF EACH THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVE. THE FIRST PERSPECTIVE DEALS WITH LITERATURE THAT PREDICTS PAROLE SUCCESS IN GENERAL, AND PAROLE BOARD DECISIONMAKING IN PARTICULAR. THE PROBLEM OF PAROLE PREDICTION IS ADDRESSED, WITH ATTENTION TO FACTORS INFLUENCING SUCESS ON PAROLE, PAROLE BOARD DECISIONMAKING, THE DISCRETIONARY JUSTICE ISSUE IN THE PAROLE PROCESS, THE NATURE OF JUVENILE PAROLE, THE NATURE OF THE DATA, AND METHODS OF DATA ANALYSIS. THE SECOND SECTION ACKNOWLEDGES THE SPECIAL CHARACTER OF THE JUVENILE COURT AND EXAMINES JUVENILE JUSTICE PHILOSOPHY FOR POTENTIAL HYPOTHESES. ASPECTS OF THE RISE OF THE JUVENILE COURT EXAMINED INCLUDE THE POSITIVIST BASIS OF THE JUVENILE COURT, THE NATURE OF THE COURT, THE LACK OF PROCEDURAL SAFEGUARDS, AND IMPLICATIONS OF THE COURT FOR THE PRESENT STUDY. THE THIRD PERSPECTIVE IS DEVELOPED FROM LITERATURE OF A SOCIOLOGICAL NATURE THAT DEALS WITH WHAT MAY BE EXPECTED TO HAPPEN IN AGENCIES THAT PROCESS PEOPLE WHO ARE DEFINED AS DEVIANT BY SOCIETY. THEORETICAL STATEMENTS AND EMPIRICAL INVESTIGATIONS INTO THE QUESTION ARE EXAMINED. THE NEXT THREE SECTIONS PRESENT THE SETTING FOR THE RESEARCH, THE RESULTS OF THE STUDY, AND A DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS AND IMPLICATIONS. THE STUDY INSTITUTION AND CHARACTERISTICS OF THE STUDY SAMPLE ARE DISCUSSED, METHODOLOGICAL CONSIDERATIONS ARE NOTED, AND RESEARCH AND POLICY IMPLICATIONS ARE OUTLINED. GRAPHIC AND TABULAR DATA ARE PROVIDED. A BIBLIOGRAPHY AND A LIST OF TABLES ARE INCLUDED. A COMPLETE VARIABLE LIST GENERATED BY THE STUDY AND OFFENSE SEVERITY GROUPING ARE APPENDED. (KBL)