QUEST is the history of the California Youth Authority and the career of the author from 1941 -1976, from trainee to deputy director. The story he shares is about the strong and interesting people he met along the way, individuals, and leaders, who took an abstract idea about administering a program for troubled youth and its subsequent development into a premier youth correctional agency recognized and admired nationally and internationally. Having worked with him during the "Golden Years," I can assure the reader that his unique writing style lets you share the Quest in triumph and failure. It is an important book for anyone interested in improving the administration of criminal and juvenile justice. Ronald W. Hayes, Deputy Director (ret), California Youth Authority

QUEST is graphic review by an insider of the "rise and fall" of the California Youth Authority. From its beginning, the Youth Authority was recognized, nationally and internationally, for the extensive innovative, progressive programs for youthful offenders. Smith's recollections of this period offer valuable personal insights into its growth and equally valuable observations as to why the agency would later experience a downward spiral to extinction. It is well written and documented, and a major contribution to corrections, criminology, and an informed public. Robert E Keldgord, Chief Probation Officer, Sacramento (ret), Criminologist