Youth Justice at a Crossroads: Twenty-First Century Progressive Reforms and Lessons to Inform the Path Forward

The United States juvenile legal system changed substantially during the twenty-first century. Notable shifts occurred with progressive reform trends aimed to promote developmentally-aligned, trauma-informed, and equitable youth justice systems. Now, in an increasingly complex and polarized landscape, the future of progressive change for youth justice faces a crossroads, with some calling for transformation and others advocating a path of continued gradual reform. In this critical literature review, we analyze the role of leading paradigms driving patterns of progressive reform in the US juvenile legal system during the twenty-first century. From this review, we reflect on strengths and limitations of predominant paradigms that have guided progressive change in youth justice, and offer key lessons to inform the path forward.