THE REVIEW INCLUDES A SUMMARY OF THE ORIGINS AND EARLY HISTORY OF DELINQUENCY LAW AND POLICY, A DETAILED EXAMINATION OF DEVELOPMENTS NATIONWIDE AND IN ILLINOIS FROM 1960 TO 1974, AND COMMENTS ON FACTORS THAT HAVE INFLUENCED THE FIELD OF JUVENILE DELINQUENCY. FROM 1960 TO 1966, LEGISLATION AND PROGRAMS SUPPOSEDLY BASED ON PSYCHOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVES OF JUVENILE CRIME AND DELINQUENCY CAME INTO QUESTION AND SOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVES BEGAN TO RECEIVE INCREASING ATTENTION. JUVENILE DELINQUENCY PREVENTION, PARTICULARLY THROUGH PROGRAMS DESIGNED TO PROVIDE EDUCATIONAL AND OCCUPATIONAL OPPORTUNITY, BECAME ONE OF THE GOALS OF THE 'WAR ON POVERTY.' FROM 1966 TO 1974, MINORITIES AND OTHER GROUPS EXPRESSED DISILLUSIONMENT WITH GOVERNMENT ACTION IN GENERAL, AND BOTH LAY AND PROFESSIONAL COMMUNITIES QUESTIONED THE ASSUMPTIONS UPON WHICH THE FAILED ANTIPOVERTY PROGRAM HAD BEEN BASED. THE FIELD OF SOCIOLOGY UNDERWENT A 'PARADIGM REVOLUTION'--A SHIFT FROM CONSENSUS PERSPECTIVES TO CONFLICT PERSPECTIVES. CHANGES IN JUVENILE DELINQUENCY POLICY AND LAW IN ILLINOIS FROM 1960 TO 1974 LARGELY REFLECT CHANGES THAT TOOK PLACE NATIONWIDE. HOWEVER, LIKE OTHER STATES, ILLINOIS HAS BEEN AFFECTED BY THE ACTIVITIES OF INTEREST GROUPS AND INDIVIDUALS ACTING PRIMARILY WITHIN STATE BOUNDARIES. THE HISTORY OF DELINQUENCY LAW AND POLICY DEMONSTRATES THE CLEAR RELATIONSHIP AMONG THE ACTIVITIES OF INTEREST GROUPS, THE SOCIAL SETTINGS IN WHICH THE GROUPS OPERATE, AND THE LAWS AND POLICIES THAT ARE ESTABLISHED. THE SUCCESSFUL REFORMERS HAVE HAD (OR HAD ACCESS TO) POWER, HAVE KNOWN HOW TO USE THE MEDIA EFFECTIVELY, AND HAVE TENDED TO BE CHARISMATIC FIGURES. WHEN A PERSPECTIVE ON THE CAUSES OF DELINQUENCY HAS FAILED TO PRODUCE ANTICIPATED RESULTS, EVENTUALLY THAT PERSPECTIVE HAS BEEN QUESTIONED AND NEW PERSPECTIVES, GENERALLY ORIGINATING WITH YOUNG PEOPLE RELATIVELY NEW TO THE FIELD, HAVE BEEN POSED. IF THEY FELT STRONGLY ENOUGH ABOUT AN ISSUE TO FORMULATE THEIR IDEAS INTO LAWS, THESE YOUNG REFORMERS BECAME 'MORAL ENTREPRENEURS.' ALTHOUGH THE ROLE OF 'EXPERTS' (PSYCHIATRISTS, SOCIOLOGISTS, ETC.) IN SHAPING THE JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM HAS EXPANDED SINCE THE TURN OF THE CENTURY, FAITH IN THE EXPERTS APPEARS TO HAVE DECREASED SINCE 1970. SUPPORT FOR MORE FORMAL PROCESSING OF JUVENILES, LESS INDIVIDUALIZED JUSTICE AND INDETERMINATE SENTENCING, AND MORE PUNISHMENT MAY REFLECT A LOSS OF FAITH IN THE REHABILITATIVE AND REINTEGRATIVE APPROACHES SUPPORTED BY THOSE WHO HAVE ADVISED AND SERVED THE JUVENILE COURTS. THE HISTORY OF DELINQUENCY LAW AND POLICY ALSO IMPLIES THAT CHANGES IN JUVENILE JUSTICE AND CORRECTIONS HAVE NOT ALWAYS REPRESENTED IMPROVEMENTS. A SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY IS PROVIDED. (LKM)