2. History of Juvenile Corrections in Europe
Children have had a history of being neglected,
abandoned, and deserted over the past 2,000 years. This
is attributed to a combination of high fertility and high
infant mortality. Children were treated as if they did not
exist and were only cared for when death was imminent
In 1349, the English Poor Laws began caring for children
that were abandoned or neglected. These laws set the
groundwork for social legislation in Colonial America
The term “juvenile delinquent” was first used in 1800,
right when the first asylums were being created to house
delinquent boys
3. Early American Juvenile Justice Systems
In America, delinquent and abandoned children were feared to become
“paupers” or undeserving poor people because of their wicked and dissolute
ways. Paupers were “deceitful, traitorous, hostile, rude, brutal, rebellious,
sullen, wasteful, cowardly, dirty, blasphemous, and lazy”
In 1817, the Society for the Prevention of Pauperism rallied for new and
separate prisons for juveniles that were to be operated like schools for
instruction rather than punishment. The first institution for juvenile offenders,
established January 1, 1825 in New York City, was the House of Refuge. 73
juveniles were admitted in the first year
By 1857, there were 17 of these facilities in larger cities such as Boston
During their time in these facilities, they would be subjected to hard work and
education, in hopes that they would not become paupers. Their stay was
temporary, being discharged by their 21st birthday, where they were usually
sent to live with families who would provide an apprenticeship
The reform school system began in 1846 in Westborough, Massachusetts at the
Lyman Reform School for Boys
4. Reform Movements in Juvenile Justice
People v. Turner (1870) set the stage for the development of
the first juvenile court. The Court found that Daniel O’Conner
was sent to the Chicago House of Refuge without his parents’
consent and was being punished and deprived of his parents’
care
In the 1880s, “child savers”, began advocating for special laws
for juveniles and the creation of institutions to care for and
protect them
Jane Addams established the Hull House in Chicago that
provided care and support for delinquent youth
The first juvenile court was established in Chicago, Illinois in
1899 and was based on the principle of parens patriae –
enabling the state to act in lieu of the parent and in the best
interests of the child
5. The Evolution of 20th Century Juvenile Corrections
Cottage Institutions
The Lyman Reform School for Boys was the first to introduce the
residential cottage plan (replacing the prison-like barracks). This plan
allowed for “parents” to live with the children in each cottage, adding an
emphasis on rehabilitation through education and hard work
Self-government – allowed youth to be involved in the definition and
enforcement of rules under close supervision of the staff. Still used today in
guided group interaction or positive peer culture
“Cottage parents” provided the youth with parental supervision and
counseling in an attempt to create a normal family environment
Because of today’s labor laws, cottage parents can only be with the youth
during normal working hours, so their presence has to be supplemented by
day counselors and other support staff (which does not provide for much
stability)
Cottage style reformatories still exist today; in 2004, there were at least
868 group homes in the U.S.
6. New Generation Ideas
The 1960s & 1970s saw the development of direct supervision
& “podular design”– referred to as the new generation –
based on the normalization treatment model
Direct supervision is undertaken by staff members who work
in the inmate living unit with the residents 24 hours a day,
enabling staff to work closely with the youth & help them
develop better social skills, problem-solving, and behavior
management
Goals of a new generation design:
Effective control Safety of staff and inmates
Effective supervision Justice & fairness
Competent staff Effective communications
Classification and orientation Staff ownership of operations
Manageable & cost-effective operations
7. Federal Government Involved in Juvenile Justice
In the 1960s, a number a cases were brought before the U.S.
Supreme Court that resulted in youth being granted more due
process protections
Thousands of youths (as young as 8 or 9) every year are housed in
county jails for months and even years at a time
By the 1970s, almost ½ of all youth placed outside the home were
held on status offenses that would not be criminal offenses if they
were adults (such as truancy & curfew violations)
Non-delinquent youth are placed in jeopardy of physical and
psychological harm in adult jails
Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act (1974) – grants
were offered to states that removed status offenders from secure
custody and separated adult and juvenile inmates
Authorized the development of the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency
Prevention – provides technical assistance to agencies with the goals of
preventing delinquency & protecting children
8. “Get Tough” Juvenile Justice
Beginning in the 1970s and continuing through the
1990s, public response to juvenile offenders was
unsympathetic
At the peak of the juvenile crime epidemic in 1993, 3,760
juveniles were arrested for murder
Partly in response to these increased levels of violent juvenile
crime, this period witnessed legislative reforms designed to
make it easier to adjudicate youth in adult courts
Suring the “get tough” era, juvenile facilities were severely
overcrowded to the point where the constitutionality of the
conditions of confinement were questioned, especially in
detention centers
During this time, states began eliminating large institutions
and turned towards community-based treatment centers
9. “Get Tough” Juvenile Justice
Boots camps emerged in the 198os and 1990s as a new
form of housing youth in military based treatment
programs
The greatest stimuli for architectural change was the
Juvenile Crime Enforcement and Accountability
Challenge Grant program of 1997, which created
matching federal funds for new and remodeled juvenile
facilities
It encouraged states to provide direct intervention
strategies for youthful offenders and emphasized
strategies related to out-of-home placement for low risk
juveniles
10. Chapter Two: Main Points
Large juvenile facilities are not effective in rehabilitation
Smaller and more homelike residential placements are
goals of the new generation approach
The new generation movement also involves a movement
away from the “get tough” philosophy to a more
rehabilitative model
The most recent and most effective strategies for treating
and rehabilitating juvenile offenders is a comprehensive,
community-based model that integrates prevention
programming
Secure placement is only for those most violent and
serious juvenile offenders: those who pose a threat to
themselves and others
11. Chapter Two: Main Points
Small, community-based facilities
Engage local communities in the prevention, sanction, and
treatment of juveniles. Community partners can include schools,
volunteers, mentors, businesses, government agencies, and
religious and civic organizations
Help youth create personal bonds with mentors and other adults
in the community
Create ongoing family involvement and intervention activities,
which helps recognize the critical role of family in treating young
offenders
Function as a resource for the community such as victim
counseling and restitution programs
