They are prosecutors, politicians, poets, and probation officers; academics, attorneys, athletes, and authors; students, stockbrokers, and sales people; football players and firefighters. When they were kids, every one of them was in trouble with the law. Without the protections and rehabilitative focus of the Juvenile Court--a uniquely American invention that was the idea of a group of Chicago women activists in the 1800's--many of them would simply not be where they are today. The first juvenile court catered to the needs of abused and neglected children as well as delinquent children. The basic tenets of the juvenile court--rehabilitation, confidentiality, giving kids a second chance, and keeping them separate from adults in prisons and jails--are as important now as they ever were. Yet today the juvenile court is under attack, despite evidence that it turns young people away from crime and protects them from the dangers of incarceration with adults. The book expresses hope for a rekindling of the enthusiasm of the turn-of-the-century crusaders and founders of the juvenile court.