Professors Sara Goodkind and Jeff Shook spoke with the NASW magazine Social Work Advocates about juvenile justice.
The American juvenile justice system, originating in English common law, began to take root in various U.S. states in the late 1800s. Driven by the Progressive movement, it was largely based on an ideal: that even the most troubled youth are a work in progress and more capable of true reform than adults.
It operates under different laws, regulations and language from the larger criminal justice system, says Dr. Sara Goodkind, professor of social work and PhD program director at the University of Pittsburgh. “For instance, young people in the juvenile legal system are not found guilty or innocent. They are just found to be ‘adjudicated delinquent’ or not. So it has a completely different functioning.” Read more.