This report presents a comparison of characteristics of youth authority wards committed from 1975 to 1984 in California. Data for first commitments is offered for four offense categories: (1) violent offenses; (2) property offenses; (3) narcotic and drug offenses; and (4) other offenses. Major shifts in characteristics are highlighted at the beginning of the report and then each characteristic is summarized. Items summarized are: sex, court, area of commitment, commitment offense, ethnic group, mean age, number of prior escapes, co-offenders, physical handicaps, last grade enrolled in school, reading comprehension, arithmatic reasoning, prior convictions or sustained petitions, median age at first prior conviction or sustained petition, prior commitments, median age at prior commitment, I-Level, religion, parents' marital status, parental configuration, placement before commitment, out of home placements, income level of home, family income from public assistance, criminal record of family members, economic aspects of immediate neighborhood, delinquency aspects of immediate neighborhood, major problem area, and employment. Three tables showing percents of totals for each characteristic are included. (ABB)