Research Paper: The Future of Juvenile Justice Assignment
Liberty University
CJUS 702 Advanced Juvenile Justice Policy D02
Dr. David Conn
December 11, 2025
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THE FUTURE OF JUVENILE JUSTICE REFORM: ADVANCING EQUITY, DEVELOPMENTAL SCIENCE, 2TRAUMA
INFORMED PRACTICE, AND RESTORATIVE JUSTICE
Abstract
The U.S. juvenile justice system currently stands at a point where its structural,
developmental, and ethical foundations conflict with each other and with the policy and
practice problems it now faces. For many years, the juvenile justice system was based on the
concept of rehabilitation. However, far too often, the system has defaulted to a punitive model
that is antithetical to the concepts of adolescent development, trauma, and social inequality.
The purpose of this research paper is to provide a critical review of five of the significant issues
currently challenging the legitimacy and effectiveness of the juvenile justice system (i.e., Racial
Ethnic Disproportionality, Overuse of Detention, Unmet Mental Health Needs, Poor Alignment
with Developmental Science, Fragmentation Across Systems), and provide recommendations on
how these issues will further threaten the long term viability of the juvenile justice system
within an increasingly equity minded, public health oriented, and evidence based society.
Additionally, this paper will propose a method to transform the juvenile justice system through
CommunityBased Alternatives, Restorative Justice Principles and Practices, Trauma-Informed
Treatment, Collaborative Systems Infrastructure, and Data-Driven Decision Making. Finally, this
paper will reference a Christian Worldview and the components of justice it would emphasize,
such as compassion, restoration, the intrinsic worth and dignity of every person, and the biblical
mandate to pursue justice (Micah 6:8 NIV). This view affirms that youth can change, youth
deserve grace, and youth deserve to live in an environment that provides both healing and
accountability. Therefore, the juvenile justice system of the future should be grounded in
evidence, equity, and hope, protecting communities while recognizing the inherent worth and
potential of all youth.
The Future of Juvenile Justice
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Introduction
At an inflection point in its development as a contested and evolving national institution,
the juvenile justice system faces numerous and far-reaching policy, research, and
communitywide questions about how well it currently serves and responds to youth who come
into contact with the law. The juvenile justice system, which historically has been a
rehabilitation-focused response to youth crime, has yet to deliver on its stated purpose
consistently. The nation has yet to provide adequate solutions to the problems of high
recidivism, punitive policy, race inequity, and patchwork service delivery for youth. The U.S. was
founded upon the premise that youth are different than adults due to brain development.
Therefore, youth are more likely to be rehabilitated and to thrive later in life. Today, we find
ourselves at an inflection point of high youth trauma and mental health issues, a lack of racial
equity, policy that is counterintuitive to neuroscientific research, and varying levels of practice
among multiple systems of care for youth. At this juncture, we will need to address these issues
collectively and move toward a coming wave of reform that will require us to answer the
question of what justice looks like for adolescents and what society owes to its most vulnerable
youth. The answers to these questions will ultimately decide the fate of the juvenile justice
system. Understanding the future of the juvenile justice system can be gained by first examining
the role the system has played in the past, the significant shortcomings in its implementation,
and the opportunities it has to meet the challenges it currently faces.
Additionally, a Christian worldview provides a perspective that helps inform our understanding
of the future of the juvenile justice system. A Christian worldview helps us to see young people
as made in the image of God and therefore worthy of restoration and recognition as important
members of our communities. Furthermore, a Christian worldview informs our understanding
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of the future of the juvenile justice system by providing biblical truths related to justice, mercy,
healing, and transformation, all of which are critical desired outcomes of the rehabilitative
process. As stated in Proverbs 22:6 NIV, "Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he
is old he will not depart from it." Young people should not be defined solely by their worst
moment. The opening chapter of this paper sets the stage for a deeper exploration of the
juvenile justice system’s most significant challenges, what they mean for the future, and what is
required to build a juvenile justice system grounded in evidence and principles of equity and
humanity.
Critical Issues Facing the Juvenile Justice System Today
1. Deepening Racial and Ethnic Disparities
No issue undermines the legitimacy of the juvenile justice system more than racial
disproportionality, which has resulted in Black, Latino, and Native American youth being
overrepresented in police contact, detention, and incarceration (Rovner, 2021). Such inequity
exists throughout policing practices, access to legal counsel, opportunities for diversion, and
other societal conditions. In addition to creating unequal experiences, racial disparity destroys
public trust. When communities perceive the system as unfair, they are less likely to collaborate
with law enforcement and agencies; conversely, they are much more likely to view interventions
as detrimental rather than protective. Unless these inequalities are addressed, a future may
emerge in which justice is distributed unevenly, and rehabilitation is unavailable to many.
A Christian perspective directly addresses the injustices created by these disparities. In Psalm
82:3 NIV, God instructs believers to defend the rights of the poor and needy, and commands
justice systems to avoid bias and provide equal treatment for all youth. It is a moral
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responsibility and not simply a matter of politics to address the disparities between youth of
color and their non-Color counterparts.
2. Overreliance on Detention and Punitive Responses
While Detention Centers were designed as temporary solutions to reduce the risk to
public safety presented by minors, they have evolved into permanent housing for thousands of
young people who are merely at risk due to their involvement with low-level offenses, probation
violations, and other non-violent issues. These same detention centers create an environment
that disrupts a youth’s educational process, further traumatizes an already vulnerable
population, separates them from the supportive networks that can lead to positive outcomes,
and ultimately increases the likelihood of continued offending behavior. Research on juvenile
detention shows that punitive confinement worsens behavior and increases recidivism (Herz et
al., 2010). Additionally, Detention Centers are also very expensive to operate, and there has
been limited research to indicate whether confinement offers a means of rehabilitation to
young offenders. A focus on punishment rather than guidance, on compliance rather than
personal growth, will not provide a foundation for building futures for the young people being
detained.
The scripture Matthew 25:40 NIV states, Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers
of mine, you did for me. Many young people are incarcerated because of the extreme hardships
of poverty, trauma, and or neglect that they have experienced in their lives. When these young
people are treated harshly rather than compassionately, they are denied the opportunity to
receive the type of restoration needed to help them heal spiritually, emotionally, and physically.
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3. Mental Health Needs and the Role of Trauma
The problem of extreme rates of trauma and mental illness among juveniles involved in
the justice system is one of the most significant problems facing the system today. Many of
these youth have experienced some form of abuse or abandonment, been exposed to violence,
endured chronic instability, and or have untreated behavioral or emotional disorders as a result
of trauma. Research continues to show how trauma contributes to delinquency, emotional
dysregulation, and aggressive behavior (Ford et al., 2012; Modrowski et al., 2022).
Juvenile facilities, however, rarely provide enough trained staff to recognize and address the
trauma experienced by youth and do not usually offer trauma-informed therapy programs or
integrated mental health services. Thus, youth are typically punished for how they respond to
trauma rather than treated for trauma. In the future, there must be a commitment to creating
juvenile systems based on trauma-informed practices, which create safe environments where
youth can heal from emotional wounds and develop resiliency.
Psalm 34:18 NIV states, The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.
4. Misalignment Between Policy and Adolescent Brain Development
The modern study of neuroscience has revealed a wealth of information about how the
brain continues to develop through adolescence, especially in regulating emotions, planning for
the long term, and controlling impulsive behavior. Research shows that adolescents have
reduced culpability and greater potential for rehabilitation than adults (Steinberg, 2013).
Many policies today, however, still view adolescents as having developed the ability to make
adult decisions. Many youth are being transferred into the adult court system, receiving longer
sentences than their adult counterparts, and being denied access to developmental programs
and services. Failure to incorporate the study of development into the creation of policies will
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undermine rehabilitation efforts, increase recidivism rates, and contradict the fundamental
principles of the juvenile justice system.
5. Fragmentation Across Systems Serving Youth
Young people are impacted by many institutions at once, including schools, child
welfare, mental health services, and community-based organizations. Unfortunately, because
most of these systems operate independently, they do not coordinate effectively, leading to a
lack of services, duplication of effort, and confusion about who is responsible for what.
Research on crossover youth shows how poor coordination increases system penetration and
adverse outcomes (Herz et al., 2010).
The result is that young people and their families experience variable treatment across
institutions. As part of the process of reviving the juvenile justice system, it will require an
interdisciplinary model that coordinates all services and addresses not just the symptoms of
delinquency but also the environments that contribute to delinquent behaviors.
How These Issues Will Shape the Future of Juvenile Justice
These three major trends have brought the juvenile justice system to an important
juncture; in the coming years, it will be forced to consider what it means to be a justice system
when providing services to children and adolescents involved in the system. To address these
needs, the juvenile justice system will need to transition from a punitive approach to one that is
developmentally responsive and equity driven. This shift will also require a focus on therapeutic
rather than punitive approaches, data to inform the work and service delivery, and
communitybased models of support. This emerging research, growing community advocacy,
and developing spiritual frameworks all align to continue pushing society toward systems of
care that provide healing rather than harm.
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Revitalizing the Juvenile Justice System
Expand diversionary strategies and develop community-based programs. Diversionary
methods have been shown time and again to reduce reoffending rates and improve outcomes
for youth (Wilson & Hoge, 2013).
Develop and implement restorative justice models. Restorative Justice models emphasize
repairing harm, rebuilding relationships, and restoring youth to their communities (Bazemore &
Schiff, 2005).
Make trauma-informed and mental health services a priority.
Ensure that all policies are based on developmental science.
Enhance collaboration between systems.
Provide for post-release long-term support.
Christian Worldview
A Christian Worldview Provides the Moral Framework for Envisioning the Future of
Juvenile Justice. Scripture says that each young person has inherent value because each one
was created in the image of God Genesis 1:27 NIV. Justice From a Biblical Perspective is Never
Merely About Retribution. It is About Restoration, Micah 6:8 NIV. Additionally, many
justiceinvolved youth have a history of trauma, neglect, or instability. Psalm 147:3 NIV reminds
us that God heals the brokenhearted and offers a vision of justice in which healing is a priority
over creating additional wounds. Lastly, Christianity promotes hope. Jeremiah 29:11 NIV says
there will be a future with purpose. Ultimately, a Christian worldview will support a future of
juvenile justice that is Redemptive, Compassionate, Developmentally Informed, and that
restores youth to their communities.
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Conclusion
Juvenile Justice can make great strides; however, it is also plagued by numerous
problems that need to be addressed. It will take both the knowledge and power of science as
well as the guidance of morality to help create a better system. A Christian worldview could
provide an excellent framework for the moral guidance required to create a new and improved
juvenile justice system. A Christian worldview provides a framework for understanding dignity,
redemption, justice, mercy, and hope. Micah 6:8 NIV provides a picture of what could be if we
work to create a juvenile justice system grounded in justice, mercy, and humility. The potential is
there to transition from causing harm to providing healing, from punishment to restoration, and
from feeling hopeless to having possibilities for youth. Accountability is important, but so is the
opportunity to discover one’s purpose and identity through God. Therefore, the future of
juvenile justice must be one of redemption.
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References:
Bazemore, G., & Schiff, M. (2005). Juvenile justice reform and restorative justice 1st ed..
Willan. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781843926368
Ford, J. D., Chapman, J., Connor, D. F., & Cruise, K. R. 2012. Complex trauma and aggression in
secure juvenile justice settings. Criminal Justice and Behavior, 396, 694–724.
https://doi.org/10.1177/0093854812436957
Herz, D. C., Ryan, J. P., & Bilchik, S. 2010. Challenges facing crossover youth: An examination of
juvenile justice decision making and recidivism. Family Court Review, 482, 305–321.
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1744-1617.2010.01312.x
Modrowski, C. A., Chaplo, S. D., & Kerig, P. K. 2022. Advancing our understanding of the risk
factors associated with crossover youth in the child welfare and juvenile justice systems: A
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New International Version Bible. 2011. Holy Bible, New International Version. Zondervan.
Rovner, J. 2021. Racial disparities in youth incarceration. The Sentencing Project.
https://www.sentencingproject.org/reports/racial-disparities-in-youth-incarceration/
Steinberg, L. 2013. The influence of neuroscience on U.S. Supreme Court decisions about
adolescents criminal culpability. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 14, 513–518.
https://doi.org/10.1038/nrn3509
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Wilson, H. A., & Hoge, R. D. 2013. The effect of youth diversion programs on recidivism: A meta
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