Over the course of 1971 to 1972 a remarkable event occurred that permanently altered conventional assumptions about justice administration. Jerome G Miller, then commissioner of youth corrections in Massachusetts, systemically carried out the most sweeping reforms in correctional history. He closed the state's five juvenile reform schools and transferred over 1,500 youths to an assortment of community-based programs. These actions, which were at first greeted with skepticism and derision by much of the correctional establishment, proved to be revolutionary in changing popular assumptions about the treatment of youth in trouble. Research revealed that when not subject to abusive prison-like conditions, young offenders were less likely to display violent and criminally prone behaviors later on. Most importantly, well-designed and properly implemented rehabilitation programs substantially reduce recidivism among even the most difficult offenders.

While the trend toward punitive public policies in recent years has undermined these important lessons, the legacy of Dr. Miller's reforms lives on. A growing number of jurisdictions throughout the United States are now recognizing the importance of substituting retributive practices with a more balanced array of sanctions and interventions.

Click here for Dr. Miller’s blog.

CJCJ’s Communications Specialist, Selena Teji, discusses how Dr. Miller’s 1972 Massachusetts reforms apply to California’s modern day juvenile justice system in her op-ed, The De-incarceration of California’s juvenile justice system.