THE JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM
CHAPTER ONE
Chapter Outline
Origins of the Juvenile Justice System Juvenile Court Jurisdiction
Defining Delinquency Defining a Juvenile

Chapter Objectives
After completing this chapter, you should be able to: 1. Describe the jurisdiction of the juvenile court. 2. Explain what is meant by delinquency. 3. Explain what is meant by status offenses. 4. Compare the ways in which the various states define a juvenile. 5. Identify and define the unique terms used in the juvenile justice system. 6. Outline the three major steps in the juvenile justice process. 7. Describe the five decision points in the juvenile justice process.

The Language of Juvenile Justice Overview of the Juvenile Justice System
Law Enforcement and Other Referral Sources Juvenile Court Disposition

Comparison of Juvenile and Criminal Justice Systems 8. Compare and contrast the juvenile and criminal justice systems.

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4 PART ONE

Juvenile Justice and Delinquency in the United States

Origins of the Juvenile Justice System
Before the establishment of the juvenile justice system, courts and judges treated juveniles as adults and, in many instances, juvenile offenders received the same punishment as adults. There was only one system of justice in the United States, and all offenders were processed through it without regard to age. Under common law doctrine, the legal system the American colonists brought from England, a juvenile age seven or older could receive the same punishment as an adult. Juveniles were housed in prisons with adults and sometimes received the death penalty; however, evidence shows that the most severe punishments were rarely given to juveniles.1 The establishment of separate institutions to confine juvenile offenders separately from adults occurred in the early 1800s. In 1899, the first juvenile court was founded in Cook County, Illinois.