Issues in Juvenile Justice Administration

Catalog description

The course examines the roots of the juvenile court and its associated institutions, issues in its administration, and current issues and challenges to its functioning. From its inception in 1899 the juvenile justice system represented a unique legal institution. By design it is a system of individualized justice. The nature of the juvenile system makes administering it a challenge. The juvenile justice system must hold youth accountable for delinquent behavior while crafting individualized treatment plans. As an open system it is further pressed by the desires of external constituencies that seek retribution and punishment which are at times in opposition to individualized care.