The Key Components of the New Juvenile System

In the dawn of the 20th century, there was a strong belief that scientific methods and rationality would produce new ways of addressing the crime problem in the United States. A greater emphasis was placed on the role that social conditions play in the production of crime. The emergence of psychology as a field of study resulted in a simultaneous belief that understanding better the role of childhood development would lead to a reduction in criminality if problem behaviors were identified and treated early in the life of a problem child. The new court would attack the problem of delinquency on two fronts:

It would remove the child from negative social living conditions if that was deemed necessary.
The court would give each juvenile individualized attention when it came to diagnosing just what the root of his or her problem might be and to ensure treatment tailored to that problem. It was envisioned that medical and treatment staff would be hired to adequately address the needs of early juvenile justice clients. The judge would make decisions on behalf of each child, in his or her best interest, and assign a host of social workers and probation officers to ensure the well being of these children.

Under this “medical model,” the new court would act as a parent of the child who came under its control. As such, the court was viewed primarily as civil, not criminal, in nature. Unlike the adult justice system with an emphasis on punishment, the new juvenile court would focus on rehabilitation and returning each child to society as a law-abiding citizen. And because the court was not out to punish children, there would be no need to ensure that “delinquents” were given the same constitutional protections as were the adult criminal.