At the heart of the battle are juvenile courts, which were created beginning in 1899 to protect delinquents. The idea was to give young lawbreakers a combination of punishment, treatment and counseling to straighten out their lives. Now, a campaign against juvenile courts is spreading fast. Arizona Gov. Fife Symington is leading a petition drive for a state constitutional amendment that critics say could lead to the abolition of juvenile courts. Proponents say the aim is to send the most violent young suspects to adult trials, even if judges object.
Critics charge that advocates of tougher measures are overreacting.
Bad cases make bad law. But statistics buttress the mounting concerns. Such youths are disproportionately affected by problems linked to crime, including poverty, family breakdowns and poor education. It largely worked, but it did not address the problem symbolized by Willie Bosket, who, after committing hundreds of street crimes, was charged in 1977 with killing two men in a New York subway. Hitting the hard core.