The mission statement composed by the JAC stemmed from the purpose of the juvenile justice system as redefined in Special Session Act 33 of 1995. This legislation embodies the principles of Balanced and Restorative Justice by requiring the system to "provide balanced attention to the protection of the community, the imposition of accountability for offenses committed and the development of competencies to enable children to become responsible and productive members of the community." Reflective of this legislative mandate, the JAC developed the following mission statement for the State's juvenile justice system: "Juvenile justice: community protection; victim restoration; youth redemption." "Community protection" refers to the fundamental right of all Pennsylvania citizens to be safe from crime. "Victim restoration" emphasizes that crimes can forever change victims, and the goals of victim restoration programs and services should be to restore the victim to pre-crime status. "Youth redemption" embodies the belief that the majority of juvenile offenders are capable of change and have strengths upon which treatment services can build. The "Guiding Principles" presented in this paper specify how the broad goals of the mission statement should be operationalized.