" USA Today, April 1988, 5 – Lang 29) The "get tough' movement that the country saw in 1970s and early 1980s led to a large number of youths being confined. (Schwartz 58) "The Supreme Court in 1967, handed down a decision that said that children should not be convicted of crimes without evidence of their guilt, without fairtrails and lawyers, and the chance to face their accusers." (Humes 25) Prior to this there was a "separate juvenile justice system that was more informal, stripped of legal ritual and dedicated to quickly helping troubled kids get back on track, but these intentions brought about abuses." (Humes 25)In the beginning, when Illinois established a separate court juvenile court in 1899, these courts were set up with the belief that one could change human behavior and turn troubled children into law-abiding citizens. People thought these werechildren who did something bad rather than bad children. (Lang 73) The goal was rehabilitation rather than punishment. (Silberman 310) If a juvenile is twelve or younger they are considered a juvenile delinquent and tried in a Family Court. Those thirteen to eighteen are considered juvenile offenders. Their records are kept secret. In most states teens must be sixteen to eighteen to be tried as adults. (Lang 73) These juvenile courts were given the discretion to take children from their homes. Children could be placed in shelters, group or foster homes. Parental rights could be terminated. (Silberman 318) Judges had to decide on "neglect" and "delinquency" cases. If a judge determine a juvenile delinquent they could place them on probation or incarcerate them in training school, forestry camp, or ranch or a group home.(Silberman 334)...
