This paper reports on a pilot of a grief awareness programme as a health promotion project for young offenders with complicated grief. 17 young offenders in custody in Cardiff were opportunistically recruited, interviewed, & offered entry to the programme. Subjects who reported coping poorly with bereavement were more likely to report having used drugs to cope with their emotions, having suicidal thoughts, & reported more depression & anxiety. They were also more likely to have been bereaved in late adolescence & to have lost a first-degree relative, with death being sudden, violent or by suicide. (9 refs.)