Essay about History of the Juvenile Justice System

This paper will discuss the history of the juvenile justice system and how it has come to be what it is today. When a juvenile offender commits a crime and is sentenced to jail or reform school, the offender goes to a separate jail or reforming place than an adult. It hasn’t always been this way. Until the early 1800’s juveniles were tried just like everyone else. Today, that is not the case. This paper will explain the reforms that have taken place within the criminal justice system that developed the juvenile justice system. Before the Progressive Era, children who were over the age of seven were put in jail with adults. In the early part of the 1800’s reformers started to become concerned with the overcrowded environment in the†¦show more content†¦The child-essentially good, as they saw it was made to feel that he is the object of the states care and solicitude, not that he was under arrest or on trial† (In re Gault, 1967). The rising viewpoint of the child savers was that of parens patriae which said that the state had an assenting duty to get involved and care for the less fortunate kids. In 1899, the first court devoted to hearing cases with juvenile delinquents was developed by the Illinois Legislature. The procedures in the juvenile court were much different from those of the criminal courts. The child would be accused of a crime they committed, but they were offered help, treatment, and direction (Myers, 2008). Juvenile hearings were held in private and the juvenile’s records were kept sealed to avoid the disgrace of a criminal conviction. Since the juvenile courts rejected punishment, they were allowed to have jurisdiction on things adult courts did not consider crimes. These offenses could be anything including truancy, disobedience, bad language, immorality, and vagrancy. Under parens patriae, the juvenile court was allowed to use wide range discretion to resolve the troubles of juvenile offenders and rejected the official procedures of the adultShow MoreRelatedEssay on History of the Juvenile Justice System1477 Words   |  6 PagesRUNNING HEAD: HISTORY OF THE JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM Juvenile Delinquency: The History of the Juvenile Justice System Shandi Lillard Kaplan University CJ 150 – 02 Professor Raymond Keefauvor June 14, 2011 The History of the Juvenile Justice System The Juvenile Justice System is seen by many as being ineffective in treating the youth of this country, the programs are outdated and there seems to be little, if any hope that these youth will stay on the right path once released backRead MoreEssay on The History and Evolution of the Juvenile Justice System1368 Words   |  6 PagesThe history of the juvenile justice system is a mixture of the criminal justice system, family court, child protective services, social services, orphanages, adoption and humanitarian growth. 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