History Overtakes the Juvenile Justice System

Abstract

Many of juvenile justice's problems can be traced to the 19th century when parens patriae programs and facilities were established with little attention to their influence upon one another. As newer programs for status offenders were begun, older centers received mainly hardened delinquents, and their policies became more punitive. Without guidance or understanding whole systems grew punitive. A solution to this criminalizing of juvenile justice might entail a state-level department devoted to the treatment of delinquents in the community or in custodial facilities, and small facilities limited to 15-20 beds each, focusing on narrow segments of the delinquent population.