In my October column, I addressed the issue of mental health
versus juvenile justice in reference to violent children. This
column looked at the what mental health professionals believed
was working in their field, what was not working and how they
could work better with juvenile justice professionals. In this
column, those who work in juvenile justice address the same
questions. First, here’s a brief history of the American
Juvenile Justice System and an overview of what the current
mission is. The common law of England played a large role in the
establishment of laws and the justice system in the United
States. In common law, a criminal act was clearly defined. To
hold someone accountable for a crime, essentially to punish them
under our justice system, the person must have the intent to
commit a crime and must commit an unlawful act. Under the first
component, a line was drawn between those who fully understood
one’s actions and those who did not. Without full understanding,
a crime could not be committed.