The history of juvenile justice helps explain American families’ unexpected use of the 2008 Nebraska safe haven law. This article uses journalistic sources both to recreate the unfolding drama and as a measure of the public understanding of the safe haven law and juvenile justice, while also presenting a summary of relevant historical research about juvenile justice for the wider scholarly community in criminal justice. The history of the juvenile court repeatedly shows families using the court and its ancillary services for their own purposes, no matter the legislative or legal intent. One lesson of the recent Nebraska safe haven legislation is to show the need for meaningful dialogue between scholars, policy makers, and practitioners; another is to take into account the long history of juvenile justice.
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