University of Pennsylvania Finding Aids

In 1938, the American Law Institute (ALI) formed the Criminal Justice--Youth Committee to review the findings of a New York City study of criminal behavior among young people called "Youth in the Toils." The culmination of the committee's work was the Model Youth Correction Authority Act, a model act that favored the integration of a number of youth treatment processes already employed by various states. The committee also proposed the creation of a Youth Authority, a state-wide panel that would handle sentencing guidelines, with an emphasis on treatment and not punishment, for all underage criminal offenders. Following the Model Youth Corrections Authority Act's promulgation in 1940, the ALI appointed a special adviser, John R. Ellingston, to help states adopt Youth Authority legislation. This outreach effort was known as the Youth Authority Program. The Youth Authority Program lasted until 1951. The collection, 1935-1959, includes background information, correspondence, meeting minutes, drafts, comments, memoranda, reports, publications, and related material regarding the drafting of the Model Youth Correction Authority Act, adopted by the ALI in 1940, and the Youth Authority Program, an initiative that encouraged state adoption of the Youth Authority legislation.