Parens Patriae Case Study

In the early 1600s, Parens Patriae was the approach that started the foundation of the early Juvenile Justice System. This concept was operated in Chancery Court that referred to the king’s role as the ‘father of the country’ and granted the power of the state to act on behalf of the child and assure protection as would a parent (Gulledge, 2015b). During this time and for many decades, children were treated as if they were adults. They were pushed into the workforce, which limited their education, and wrongfully punished. As people began to realize that their children were too young to endure such a harsh workforce, reformers gathered and enforced that there needed to be a change. These reformers were interested in what was best for the children …show more content…
The ultimate goal was to not focus solely on the crimes committed by the juvenile, but to assist to their needs and provide the appropriate rehabilitation. In Edward Humes’ book, No Matter How Loud I Shout: A Year in the Life of Juvenile Court, we are able to witness the downfall of such a once, promising system. Throughout the book, the author forms a numerous amount of observations about the disorganization within the system, evaluates those who work for the system, and mentors the juveniles whose lives were spent in and out the …show more content…
Elias Elizondo, Geri Vance, and George Trevino all suffer from family risk factors that may have led them to engaging in criminal activities. Elias grew up in a rough neighborhood and at home, he was surrounded by family members who were involved in crime. Because of this, he was quickly absorbed into the gang life and the severity of the crimes he committed gradually increased. At first in the Intake, he explains that nothing can change him, however, after learning that he would soon be a father, he craves for responsibility and wants a better future. At this point though, it is too late and ultimately, he is failed by the