In the eighteenth-century, the law did not distinguish any differences between juvenile crime and adult crime. The common law was that no child under the age of seven could be found guilty of a serious crime. It was not until the age of fourteen that they could be found guilty as long as they knew the difference between right and wrong. By the end of the nineteenth century, reformers created the juvenile court as possible means for rehabilitation. According to John Winterdyk, a Canadian author, nothing major was happening within the justice system until 1899. In 1899, Illinois stepped up and created the first statewide juvenile court. This court was created to deal with problems of neglect, dependency, and juvenile delinquency (Winterdyk 273). The mistreatment of juveniles was apparent by the time of the Progressive Movement. The ACLU claims that by the 1925, juvenile proceedings that were more focused on "prevention and rehabilitation rather than retribution and punishment" took place in nearly every state (ACLU 1). Webster's Dictionary defines Juvenile as: "relating to youth or young people" (Juvenile 225). However, using the definition "youth or young people" does not draw a clear line for how far the word juvenile can be stretched. Few states use "juvenile" in reference to those under the age of sixteen. Jeffrey Butts and Adele Harrell, research authors for the Urban Institute, stated that there are thirty-seven states, including D.C., that use juvenile to explain youth under the age of eighteen. There are ten states that draw the line at sixteen, to be considered a juvenile, and three states that limit the juvenile age to fifteen (5). To be consistent with my research statistics and information, I am using the word "juvenile" in reference to those under the age of eighteen. How to treat juveniles is not a problem that will just disappear. In fact, with delinquency rates increasing, the problem becomes more of a desperate need to find something that works.
