Juvenile Justice System

The juvenile justice system in the United States refers to the institutions that enforce laws applying to minors, determine the guilt of juveniles accused of crimes, impose punishments, and seek to rehabilitate young people involved in criminal activity. Juvenile courts also handle cases involving abused or neglected children. Until the country's first juvenile court was established in Chicago, Illinois, in 1899, minors over the age of seven entered the same criminal justice system as adults, with other jurisdictions introducing juvenile courts in subsequent years. The experiences of an accused juvenile can vary significantly depending on where and how they are prosecuted. Each state sets its own age of majority, which refers to the age at which a person is considered...