Gender and Justice in the Progressive Era: An Investigation of Saint Louis Juvenile Court Cases, 1909–1912

Abstract

There is increased interest in the history of the juvenile court and its role in the social control of youth. In this context, feminist scholars have emphasized the long-standing legacy of the court's attempt to control girls' violations of gender images, particularly sexual behavior and status offenses. This perspective argues that girls are penalized more harshly than boys, despite being charged with less serious offenses. The present study tests hypotheses about the relationships between gender and charge, prehearing detention, and disposition using St. Louis juvenile court records for the years 1909-1912. Qualitative content analysis is used to probe more deeply the connection between gender and sexually based charges in the early history of the St. Louis juvenile court. Findings indicate that girls were subject to harsher forms of social control than boys, despite less serious charges, and that sexual behavior was described and treated much differently in girls' records than in boys'. Connections to contemporary practices are delineated.

Gang-Related Homicide Charging Decisions: The Implementation of a Specialized Prosecution Unit in Los Angeles

“…The data collection time period undoubtedly places limitations on the generalization of our findings; however, the benefits of understanding the effects of a specialized unit during this critical time in history far outweigh the costs of ignoring it. Examining the factors associated with charging decisions during this period is particularly compelling given that the unit implemented in Los Angeles was one of the first used in the United States, and it may be part of the foundation on which current specialized gang-related prosecution units are based (see Bright, Decker, & Burch, 2007). In the end, the current study's analyses provide information to be learned from a city that has taught its country many gang-related lessons.…”