This study examines detention practices of sixty-six county juvenile courts in one state during a three year period. Two kinds of analyses are reported. First, courts with and courts without a detention home are compared. Second, in courts with a detention home the effect of the juvenile's prior court contacts, offenses, sex, and race on detention are examined. Courts without a detention home detain juveniles with less frequency than courts with a detention home even though juveniles in both types of courts have the same characteristics. Variation among the courts in detention practices as a consequence of the availability of a detention home suggests that there may be needless detention of children. The number of prior court contacts of a juvenile increases the probability of detention. Overall, offenders who commit juvenile code violations are more frequently detained than juveniles who commit other offenses. White females are detained more frequently than any other group. While some findings point to discriminatory handling of non white juveniles, other findings suggest that nonwhites are not always treated more harshly than whites. The study of the careers of juveniles as they are processed through the court enables us to evaluate social control agencies and to make them responsive to the people they serve.

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While activity-group work has been useful in the Neatment of disturbed children and adolescents, there is diversity in those practices employed. The nature of leadership arrangements is one area in which such diversity can be observed. Although activity-orien ted groups have typically been conducted by professionals working individua/ly or 'conjointly, in some cases nonprofessional aides are used. This paper reports the use of undergmduate and graduate students as aides in activity-group treatment with disturbed children and, adolescents. It examines the inhoduction of aides into the group, tlte functions aides serve, role conflicts, common performance problems, and requisites for the effective use of aides.