10.1 Chapter Overview and Learning Objectives
In this chapter, we will focus first on the juvenile justice philosophy, court system, and correctional institutions and explore how they differ from the adult criminal justice system, specifically the juvenile justice focus on rehabilitation. Then we will discuss the historical progression of the juvenile justice system, from its inception in 1899 to landmark cases in 2016 and 2012 that have marked a change in how the law deals with youth. Finally we will examine how the juvenile justice system treats juveniles and takes their unique needs and circumstances into consideration.
10.1.1 Learning Objectives
After reading this chapter, students will be able to:
- Summarize the history and purpose of the juvenile court.
- Explain how due process has evolved through the juvenile court.
- Briefly examine the structure of the juvenile justice system.
- Examine the reasons supporting and criticizing the process of waiver to adult court.
- Investigate juvenile justice support for crime prevention science (CPSc) Solutions.
10.1.2 Key Terms
Below are some of the most important key terms and phrases used in this chapter. You should review and become familiar with these terms before reading this chapter:
- Disposition
- Disproportionate minority contact (DMC)
- Ex parte Crouse
- Juvenile delinquency
- Parens patriae
- Status offenses
- Superpredator
- School to prison pipeline (SPP)
- Waivers [prosecutorial, legislative, and judicial (discretionary, presumptive, and mandatory)]
10.1.3 Critical Thinking Questions
Take a few minutes and reflect on these questions before you read the chapter to assess what you already know. Then, after reading the chapter, return to these questions to gauge how much you’ve learned:
- What impact did the child savers have on juvenile justice reform?
- Explain how due process has been used throughout the history of the juvenile justice system.
- How has the juvenile justice system evolved since it was created?
- What are the different types of waiver?
- What four areas changed the juvenile court?
10.1.4 Licenses and Attributions for Chapter Overview and Learning Objectives
“Juvenile Justice” by Alison Burke and Megan Gonzalez is adapted from “10: Juvenile Justice” by Alison S. Burke in SOU-CCJ230 Introduction to the American Criminal Justice System by Alison S. Burke, David Carter, Brian Fedorek, Tiffany Morey, Lore Rutz-Burri, and Shanell Sanchez, licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0. Edited for style, consistency, recency, and brevity; added DEI content.