A separate juvenile justice system was established in the United States in 1899 with a goal of diverting juvenile offenders from the harsh punishments of the adult criminal court, and encouraging rehabilitation based on the individual needs of the offender. This new juvenile court was set up as a civil or chancery court with informal proceedings and discretion left to the juvenile court judge. Furthermore, juvenile court proceedings were closed to the public and juvenile records were to remain confidential. However, as the decades progressed juveniles became increasingly involved in more...