Like Before, but Better: The Lessons of Developmental, Life-Course Criminology for Contemporary Juvenile Justice

Abstract

This article considers the origins of the juvenile court and the degree to which developmental life-course (DLC) criminology might inform aspects of juvenile justice policy and practice. We discuss the foundations of the juvenile court in developmental science and also consider insights on delinquency from similar contemporary traditions. From there, the article provides a sense of what the juvenile justice system might look like if it better attended to theory and research in DLC criminology. The paper then returns to the early court's developmental objectives and considers the degree to which current knowledge might make achievement of its goals more attainable.

Keywords:

• history of juvenile court
• juvenile justice policy and practice
• developmental life-course criminology

Acknowledgments

The first author wishes to thank Mark Morgan for his research assistance.