Pre-1800

Untilthe19thcenturychildrenaccusedofcrimesintheU.S.were,iffoundguilty,placedintotheadultjailstheninexistence.

1825–TheUnitedStatesestablisheditsfirstyouthdetentionfacility.TheNewYorkHouseofRefugeestablisheda“colored”sectionin1834(Bell&Ridolfi,2008).

1827–ThenewIllinoiscriminalcodepassedandraisedtheageofcriminalresponsibilityto10from7yearsold(Hoerr-McNamee,1999).

1850–TheHouseofRefugeforColoredChildrenwasopenedinPhiladelphia,PA.Thiswastheonlytimeinthe19thcenturythatanorthernstateopenedsuchaninstitutionspecificallyforblacks.TheprogramofHousesofRefugewastoserveto“retrain,toeducate,toimpartmorality,andtoincarceratepotentiallyharmfuldeviants(Frey,p.11).

1850–Approximately50percentofyouthunder16intheProvidence,RIjailwereblack,60percentoftheyouthattheMarylandpenitentiaryinBaltimorewereblack,andallyouthintheWashingtonD.C.penitentiarywereblack–despitetheregions’largelywhitepopulations.Blackchildrenwerealsoincarceratedyoungerthanwhitechildren,hadfeweropportunitiesforadvancementupondischargeandsufferedadisproportionatelyhigherdeathrate(Bell&Ridolfi,2008).

1855--Fornineteen-year-oldCelia,aslaveonaMissourifarm,fiveyearsofbeingrepeatedlyrapedbyhermiddle-agedownerwasenough.OnthenightofJune23,1855,shewouldlatertellareporter,"theDevilgotintome"andCeliafatallyclubbedhermasterasheapproachedherinhercabin.ThemurdertrialoftheslaveCelia,comingatatimewhenthecontroversyovertheissueofslaveryreachednewheights,raisedfundamentalquestionsabouttherightsofslavestofightbackagainsttheworstofslavery'sabuses.

“Seventy-yearoldRobertNewsomebought14-yearoldCeliaandforcedsexualrelationsonherimmediatelyandrepeatedly.OnenightwhenNewsomewenttoCelia’scabintoabuseher,shestruckhimwithastickandkilledhiminstantly.CeliawaspregnantforthethirdtimebyNewsomeandwasveryillwhenhelastapproachedher.Athertrial,thecourtwasconcernedonlywithwhetherCeliahadarighttodefendherselfagainsthermaster’sassault.ThetrialjudgemadeitclearthatCeliadidnothavethatright.Tothecourt,CeliahadnosexualrightsoverherownbodybecauseshewasNewsome’spropertyandsheoughttohavesubmittedtoNewsome’sdemands.Celiawasguiltyofmurderandhanged4daysbeforeChristmasin1855.”

1873

Thefirstprisoncompletelydevotedtowomen,theIndianaReformatoryInstitutionforWomenandGirls,opens.

1879–TheIndustrialSchoolforGirlsisestablishedinEvanston,ILbasedonalawauthorizingtheplacementofgirlsinsuchschoolswhowerefoundbeggingonthestreets,consortingwiththieves,loiteringina“houseofillfame”orwerelivinginpoorhouses(Hoerr-McNamee,1999).

1890–ACensusanalysisbyW.E.B.DuBoisfoundthatmorethan18percentofallBlackprisonerswerejuveniles.

1899–ThefirstJuvenileCourtisestablishedinChicagobymembersofHullHouse(includingLucyFlowersandJaneAddams).Thiscodifiestheideathatchildrenwereaspecialcategoryofpeople,neitherpropertynoradults,butindividualsinneedofprotection.

1913--InthecourseofaninvestigationrecentlymadebytheJuvenileProtectiveAssociationofChicagoupontheconditionsofboysintheCountyjail,theAssociationwasmuchstartledbythedisproportionatenumberofcoloredboysandyoungmen;foralthoughthecoloredpeopleofChicagoapproximate1/40oftheentirepopulation,1/8oftheboysandyoungmenandnearly1/3ofgirlsandyoungwomenwhohadbeenconfinedinthejailduringtheyearwerenegroes.”–TheColoredPeopleofChicago,1913

1923–ChicagoJuvenileDetentionHomeopens.PoliceweremorelikelytosendBlackchildrentodetention.By1930,AfricanAmericanswere6.9%ofthepopulationinChicagobut21.3%ofboysseeninjuvenilecourt(Wolcott,2005).

1924--EleanoraHarrisFagan(BillieHoliday)was9yearsoldwhenshefirstcameintoconflictwiththelaw.Shewasbroughtbeforethejuvenilecourtforbeingtruantandfor“beingwithoutpropercareandguardianship.”ShewascommittedforayearattheHouseofGoodShepherdforColoredGirls,aCatholicreformschool.ShewasreleasedonparoleinOctober1925.

1929--InMay,BillieHolidayisarrestedalongwithhermotherandseveralotherwomenduringanightraidofabrothelinHarlemrunbyawomannamedFlorenceWilliams.SheistriedandfoundguiltyofvagrancybyajudgenamedJeanHortenseNorris(whowaswell-knownforgivingveryharshsentencestoyoungoffenders).Sheis14yearsoldandsenttoWelfareIsland(nowcalledRooseveltIsland)firstandthentoaworkhouse.

1933--In1933,morethan10,000Blackboysand1,800Blackgirlswerearrestedandhadcasesdisposedin67U.S.courtsandfederalauthorities.

1934–EllaFitzgeraldwasincarceratedattheNewYorkStateTrainingSchoolforGirlsatHudson,N.YIn1936,Stateinvestigatorsreportedthatblackgirls,then88of460residents,weresegregatedinthetwomostcrowdedanddilapidatedofthereformatory’s17“cottages,”andwereroutinelybeatenbymalestaff.LikeMissFitzgerald,mostofthe12-to16-year-oldgirlssenttothereformschoolbythefamilycourtswereguiltyofnothingmoreseriousthantruancyorrunningaway.

1935–InFebruary,SusieLattimore,whowas15yearsold,wenttoalocaltavern,hadafewdrinksandstabbedanotherpatronwholaterdied.Shewastransferredtoadultcourtandsentencedto25yearsinprisonforfirstdegreemurder.Asaresultofhercase,theState’sAttorneygainedthepowertoprosecuteanychildovertheageof10andsentencethemtoanadultcorrectionalfacility.

1954

Prisonersatthestatewomen’scorrectionalfacilityinRaleigh,NCriotforseveralhoursafterthedeathof18yearoldEleanorRush.Rushwasplacedinsolitaryfor6days.Ontheseventhday,Rushwasnotfedforover16hours.After16hours,shebeganyellingthatshewashungryandwantedfood.Inresponse,theguardsboundandgaggedher,dislocatingherneckintheprocess.Halfanhourlater,Rushwasdead.

1967

IntheGaultdecision,theU.S.supremecourtrequiredthatmostdueprocessrightsaffordedtoadultsalsobegrantedforjuveniles.Inotherwords,thecourtfoundthatjuvenilesareentitledtodueprocessunderthelaw.GeraldGaulthadbeendeniedtherighttoanattorneywhenhewasdetainedformaking“lewdphonecalls.”Hehadnotbeenformallynotifiedofthechargesagainsthim,hehadnotbeeninformedofhisrightagainstself-incriminationandhadnoopportunitytoconfronthisaccusers.GaultsignaledtheendofthetraditionalJuvenileCourt.

1989

InStanfordvKentuckyandWilkinsonvMissouri,theU.S.SupremeCourtupheldthedeathpenaltyfor16-and17-yearoldjuveniles.

1994–GunFreeSchoolsActwasenacted.TheGFSAstatesthateachStatereceivingFederalfundsunderESEAmusthaveineffect,byOctober20,1995,aStatelawrequiringlocaleducationalagenciestoexpelfromschoolforaperiodofnotlessthanoneyearastudentwhoisdeterminedtohavebroughtaweapontoschool.Thismarkedtheintroductionof“zerotolerance”policiesintoschoolenvironments.Manystateswentaboveandbeyondthefederalmandate,passinglawsthatrequiredexpulsionorsuspensionforthepossessionofallweapons,drugsandotherseriousviolationsonoraroundschoolgrounds.

1995Attheageof17years,SarahKruzanwasconvictedofthefirstdegreemurderofherallegedpimp,GeorgeGilbertHoward.Shewassentencedtolifeimprisonmentwithoutparole.

2005

TheU.S.Supremecourtabolishedthedeathpenalty/capitalpunishmentforalljuveniles.Ina5-4rulingthecourtdeclaredthatitwasunconstitutionaltosentenceanyonetodeathforacrimeheorshecommittedwhileyoungerthan18.

2010

Aiyana Mo'Nay Stanley-Jones (July 20, 2002 – May 16, 2010), was a seven-year-old African-American girl from Detroit, Michigan who was shot and killed during a raid conducted by the Detroit Police Department's Special Response Team on May 16, 2010. Officer Joseph Weekley was charged in connection with Jones' death. In October 2011, Weekley was charged with involuntary manslaughter and reckless endangerment with a gun. Weekley's first trial ended in a mistrial in June 2013. Weekley's retrial began in September 2014. On October 3, the judge dismissed the involuntary manslaughter charge against Weekley, leaving him on trial for only one charge: recklessly discharging a firearm. On October 10, the second trial ended in another mistrial. On January 28, 2015, a prosecutor cleared Weekley of the last remaining charge against him, ensuring there would not be a third trial.

2010

InMay,theU.S.Supremecourtruled5to4thatdenyingjuvenileswhohavenotcommittedhomicideachancetoeverrejoinsocietyiscountertonationaland"global"consensusandviolatestheConstitution'sbanoncruelandunusualpunishment.Inotherwords,thecourtdecidedthatjuvenilesmaynotbesentencedtolifeinprisonwithoutparoleforanycrimeshortofhomicide.Atleast99peopleinILareservingLWOPsentencesforcrimestheywereconvictedofcommittingaschildren.JLWOPmeanschildrenaresentencedtodieinprison;theseindividualswillneverbeconsideredforrelease.

2016 Bresha Meadows of Ohio was just 14 years old when she was incarcerated and faced a charge of aggravated murder for defending herself and family against the unrelenting terror and abuse of her father. She remains in jail.