In commemoration of the juvenile court's centennial, the Justice Policy Institute of the Center on Juvenile and Criminal Justice and the Children and Family Justice Center of Northwestern University School of Law profiled 25 individuals who were petitioned into juvenile court as serious delinquents when they were young and then turned their lives around and made something of themselves. The book Second Chances—100 Years of the Children's Court: Giving Kids A Chance To Make A Better Choice is a result of that work.

Research shows that the vast majority of males break the law at some point during their youth and that the vast majority stop doing so as they mature (Elliott et al., 1983). Thus, the Second Chances project staff expected to be able to identify a large number of former delinquents who made good. Even at that, the 25 stories told in Second Chances are surprising in their scope—an indication that many young people adjudicated delinquent need not lose hope of living successful lives. The 12 randomly chosen profiles republished in this Bulletin are inspiring examples of individuals whose lives reflect the juvenile court's purpose and achievements.

This Bulletin was prepared by the Juvenile Court Centennial Initiative under grant number 1999JFFX1002 from the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, U.S. Department of Justice.

Points of view or opinions expressed in this document are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of OJJDP or the U.S. Department of Justice.

The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention is a component of the Office of Justice Programs, which also includes the Bureau of Justice Assistance, the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the National Institute of Justice, and the Office for Victims of Crime.

From the Administrator The juvenile justice system is founded on the idea that youth are different from adults. Based on the concept of parens patriae—the State as parent—juvenile courts were established to provide youth a chance to make a better choice than delinquency. More than simply providing another chance, juvenile justice professionals work to enable youth to make the kinds of decisions that will ensure a better future for themselves and their communities. As in any human endeavor, the rehabilitation of juvenile offenders has its successes and failures. The successes, however, are more frequent than commonly believed and can be remarkable in their scope, as this Bulletin illustrates. Drawing on Second Chances—100 Years of the Children's Court: Giving Kids a Chance To Make a Better Choice, the Bulletin profiles successful "graduates" of the juvenile justice system. The narratives highlight fundamental principles of the juvenile court that helped these youth prosper in adulthood: protection from stigmatization, rehabilitation, and individualized attention. The profiled individuals credit the second chance provided by the juvenile justice system with helping them to turn their lives around. Capitalizing on that opportunity, each, in turn, has helped others through positive contributions to society. John J. Wilson Acting Administrator