The first chapter provides a macro-historical orientation that covers the past 150 years. It profiles the classical model of human nature and the common law status of children, followed by a description of the early 19th century House of Refuge Movement, which provided an alternative form of confinement for juveniles. Court challenges to the House of Refuge Movement are also reviewed, including the use of habeas corpus petitions to challenge the confinement of children. A review of mid-19th century changes addresses the failure of the Houses of Refuge, the rise of determinism, psychiatry, and the invention of childhood. An overview of the creation of the juvenile courts considers the elements of the 1899 Illinois Juvenile Court Act and the unique operation and structure of the juvenile court. Four chapters present cases and comments on police, court, and correctional agencies. The chapter on police addresses the law enforcement role in relation to juveniles, juvenile arrest procedures, advising juveniles of their rights, and ways to improve police-juvenile relations. A chapter on the pre- adjudicatory phase of juvenile processing considers diversion, detention, and the transfer of juvenile offenders to adult courts. A chapter on the adjudicatory stages of the juvenile justice process is followed by a chapter on the disposition and treatment of adjudicated juvenile offenders. The concluding chapter reviews the implications of cases pertinent to the application of the death penalty for juvenile murderers. A subject index and chapter notes