Since the original juvenile court was established in Illinois in 1899, states have struggled with designing and implementing effective systems to deal with children in conflict with the law. An Unfulfilled Promise is a combination of original and reprinted articles exploring the juvenile justice system in the United States. Academics, lawyers and advocates describe various challenges children in the juvenile justice system face and offer suggestions for reform. After providing an historical overview of the American juvenile justice system, the book investigates racial and ethnic disparities within the system, the troubling practice of prosecuting children as adults, and effective components of juvenile defense.