Hard times

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Hard Time
To be young is to be mischievous. There has probably never been a time in history when young people did not occasionally steal, damage property, runaway from home or school, assault other people, or act disrespectful to adults. Within the past three decades, judicial decisions, legislative amendments, and administrative changes have transformed the juvenile court from a nominally rehabilitative social welfare agency into a scaled-down-class criminal court for young people.
Webster’s Dictionary describes juvenile delinquency as juvenile conduct “characterized by antisocial behavior that is beyond parental control and therefore subject to legal action.” (Grinney 14) Delinquent behavior in teens existed way back in the Middle Ages and Renaissance. This definition shows that 19th- century American society had determined it was suitable to take legal action against intolerable youthful behavior. What the definition does not disclose is that thoughts about what that legal action should be were changing quickly.
By 1900, 36 states had separate restraining facilities for juvenile offenders. In the beginning, these facilities were built for a dual purpose. They were developed as a way to take away difficult children from society while keeping them away from adult prisoners who were likely to persuade them even more negatively.
The courts also hoped that such facilities would help children find the formation and the ethical guidance they needed to improve there ways. However, these institutions were actually better than prisons. Moreover, youngsters were often immediately taken to them-without an official trial-by the courts, the police, their parents, or their guardians. When these types of facilities were not accessible, children were sent to adult jails and prisons for every kind of offence, from common disruptiveness to assault with a lethal weapon.
In 1870, Boston began having separate hearings for offenders under age 16, and New York City soon followed. In 1899, Illinois became the first state to create a juvenile court system. Other states rapidly did the same.
Supporters of the juvenile court system did not want young people to associate with adult criminals in institutions. One of the major goals of the juvenile court system was to keep young offenders out of institutions. This system promoted the term juvenile delinquent in order to differentiate between an adult criminal and a mischievous child who may of may not be guilty of criminal behavior.
According to James S. Coleman, the juvenile court system introduced a totally new purpose. Its purpose was to revitalize the child rather than to discipline him or her.

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