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Juvenile Court System Essay

481 Words2 Pages

The juvenile court system is a fixture of the justice system with many moving parts. Each component and member of the court system are essential in carrying out their common goal. By helping operate a complex system built to rehabilitate juveniles, these people, and the programs they run, prevent juveniles from reoffending, benefit them, and help them towards the path of becoming a productive member of society.
For as long as juveniles have existed, so has the need for discipline. The modern-day juvenile court system has roots extending as far back the Colonial period, 1636 to 1823. During this early period family was the foundation of the community, rather than the rule of law. Important members of the communities like sheriffs, watchmen, …show more content…

The parens patriae doctrine provided the propulsion needed for the establishment of the juvenile court. The doctrine helped justify the expansion of state power and rationale for court intervention. The parens patriae doctrine is still essential in today’s juvenile court, and provides values and believes for members of the court system to adhere to.
The foundation of the entire the juvenile court systems lies upon the doctrine of parens patriae: the parens patriae doctrine has had its greatest application in the treatment of children, mentally ill persons, and other individuals who are legally incompetent to manage their affairs. The state is the supreme guardian of all children within its jurisdiction, and state courts have the inherent power to intervene to protect the best interests of children... (The Gale Group)

Simply, the basis of the Juvenile court is to protect children. Another founding principle of the court is the idea of rehabilitating delinquent juveniles and providing them with tools to become productive citizens, rather than punishing them (Bartollas and Schmalleger 179). Both these essential principles are demonstrated through actions and operation of the juvenile

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