This paper assesses current practices in the juvenile justice field against the backdrop of priorities set forth by Congress in the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974. Part 1 describes the legislative history and major provisions of the Act. The following sections present a concise review of current, general developments in the three areas of juvenile justice: (1) delinquency prevention including recent developments (self-reported delinquency, victimization, special studies); (2) involvement of youths in the juvenile justice system including court and correctional handling of offenders and special categories of youths; and (3) alternatives to juvenile and adult system processing. A brief discussion of the major issues currently faced by the juvenile justice field, e.g., deinstitutionalization, due process, minorities, and the role of the juvenile court, follows the review. The appendix describes the activities of the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention as well as several programs in four areas including the concentration of federal effort, formula grants and technical assistance, the special emphasis grant program, and the programs of the National Institute for Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. (Author/JAC)