An address traces the development of the New York State juvenile justice system and underlying rationales for the management of juvenile delinquents. The shift from a rehabilitation to a justice model is noted, with attention to the 1984 juvenile offender law, which specifies criminal court jurisdiction over juveniles who commit designated felonies. A panel discussion focuses on the consequences of police discretion in dealing with juveniles, class bias in juvenile processing, the confidentiality of juvenile court proceedings, juvenile justice's goal of rehabilitation, and adult court jurisdiction over serious juvenile cases. An address notes the problems posed by illiteracy in America and its perpetuation of an underclass vulnerable to the enticements of criminal behavior. Workshops cover whether the juvenile offender law should be changed, juvenile preventive detention, juvenile court confidentiality, juvenile court dispositions, the goal of such dispositions, and the family's role in the juvenile justice system.