少年司法的起源:美国少年矫正机构运动的兴起

美国于19世纪兴起的少年矫正机构运动,是少年司法从普通刑事司法中分离出来的开始。少年矫正机构运动试图改革一元化刑事司法的弊端,为违法少年创造良好的成长环境并矫正其罪错行为。显然,这一改革实际上也完善了对少年,特别是下层贫民、移民和闲散少年的社会控制机能。尽管这一改革充满着争议,但在“少年福利”的名义下,国家亲权成功地凌驾于父母亲权之上,奠定了少年司法干预权的合法化基础。

The house of refuge and reform school movements in nineteenth-century America was the beginning of separation of juvenile justice from criminal justice. The movement tried to reform the unitary criminal justice system, create a better environment for correction of juvenile delinquents. Apparently, the reform had strengthened social control of juveniles, especially juveniles in poor and migrant families （as well as their parents）. Though fully of controversies, parens patriae had successfully gained higher status than parental rights in the name of juvenile welfare, thereby establishing legal foundation for welfare juvenile justice.