Juvenile detention facilities confine more youths than do any other type of institution in the United States. Essentially jails for juveniles who have been arrested and are awaiting trial, these centers tend to be overcrowded, inadequately staffed, and expensive to operate. Juvenile justice officials and state and local policymakers throughout the country are desperately trying to determine the proper use of these facilities and, more important, how to bring detention systems under control.

The eleven essays in this collection assess today's juvenile detention system, bringing to light problems and inefficiencies and suggesting strategies for improving conditions and eliminating these problems.

The authors of these essays pull together data on national trends in detention policies and practices and examine specific cases to paint a grim picture of a system badly in need of reform. They also provide practical summaries of reform targets and strategies, and case studies of successful reform attempts, thus offering clear and much needed guidance toward possible solutions to the nation's juvenile detention crisis.