Adjudicated youth face tentative futures upon release from secure care settings. Their fate is often dependent upon the existence of quality aftercare programs emphasizing effective, integrated transition services to help them reintegrate successfully. The goal in developing transition plans for youth exiting detention is to reduce the likelihood of recidivism and to foster success in the community. In the current study, 120 youth in an urban county detention facility were surveyed regarding their perceptions of the transition process, the effectiveness of transition services, and characteristics of programs that they felt were beneficial. The findings of this study do not show significant relationships between the number of times previously detained and the youth's gender, special education status, or difficulty returning to school. However, youth who anticipated returning home or living with relatives had a significantly lower mean number of times detained than those who anticipated less stable post detention placements. (Contains 5 tables.)