This research investigated the effects of the closing of a juvenile co
rrectional institution. A nonequivalent control group design was used
to compare the effects of the closing on placements and criminal behav
ior for three groups (N = 927) whose institutionalization experiences
differed Official crime data were obtained for all, and interviews wer
e attempted with 752 juveniles. The noninstitutionalized group's recid
ivism was significantly higher than that of the institutionalized grou
ps both during and after the period of institutionalization. Consisten
t group differences in offending were observed for crimes against prop
erty but not for crimes involving drugs or crimes against persons. The
se differences were significant but not as pronounced when only the mo
st serious crimes were considered. Implications for the design of effe
ctive juvenile correctional strategies are discussed