JUVENILE JUSTICE COURT SYSTEM

Juvenile Justice Court System

Juvenile Justice System

If you are under the age of 18 and get in conflict with the law, then you will probably be having your case heard not in the criminal court but in the juvenile justice system. But this has not been the case always, the concept of juvenile justice system established just over a hundred years old. The idea of this system is not to invoke guilt or give punishment to the juvenile but to adjudicate and assist him so that the child does not perform any such acts in the future.

History and Evolution of Juvenile Justice System

In early societies, both the children and adults were subject to the same laws. Therefore the punishment for both adult and child used to be the same. For example, if a son stole from his father, then the son could have his hands cut off. Moreover, the roman cultures allowed father unlimited control or authority over his family. This issue helped in the development of Parens Patriae. This law was passed by English Common Law in the 9th century which gave the power to the state to intervene in the family matters and take guardianship of the minor with the aim of protecting them. If the minors were accused of committing crime then they were tried in criminal courts.( Brenzel, Barbara 2003)

Then finally in the 18th century perceptions started changing and the reformers became concerned about the overcrowded situation in the jails and the damage that was being done to the youths who were confined in those jails with the adult criminals. The first milestone towards the development of Juvenile Justice System was achieved. In 1817 the London Philanthropic Society built the House of Refuge for the treatment (rehabilitation) of minors who had committed crime. This was a facility exclusive for the children and silence, hard work and Bible readings were the methods that were used to rehabilitate the youth. The houses of refuge were not just the rehabilitation for the children who committed crime. They were also homes for orphans, poor children and for any child who was thought to be wayward or incorrigible. (Hale 2007)

During the 19th century United States also reformed its justice system and the treatment of juveniles started to change. A Juvenile and Criminal Justice System were implemented in United States by following the English Common Law. The Society for the Prevention of The Juvenile Delinquency established the New York House of Refuge in 1825 where the juvenile delinquents were housed. In 1855, the Chicago Reform School was opened and the people who supported these instituted demanded protection of juveniles by creating a new justice system for juveniles. They also focused on children's rehabilitation to help the juvenile offenders avoid life of crime in the future. The first distinction between adult and juvenile criminal courts was made only in the late 19th century when the first separate Juvenile Court was established in Cook County, Illinois in ...