Because of the identity crisis, juvenile courts have failed in their quest for public safety and in meeting the needs of juvenile offenders. Legislators, advocates, government officials, and attorneys often fail to recognize that the best interests of juveniles and the need for public safety are frequently mutually exclusive. The author indicates media headlines emphasize the deficiencies of the juvenile justice system, a system in which violent young people are not dealt with adequately. He provides case examples of how juvenile muggers, rapists, and murderers are released from the juvenile justice system only to commit other violent crimes. The author identifies what is wrong with the juvenile justice system and what must be done to protect communities. He concludes that a major overhaul of criminal justice philosophies is needed, that the juvenile justice system is skewed because it puts juvenile offenders back on the street too soon, and that the emphasis on rehabilitation before incarceration is flawed. 144 notes