It is true that the original purpose of the juvenile justice system was to rehabilitate young people and avoid stigma of criminality. This is based on the idea that young people have their whole lives ahead of them. Therefore, they have plenty of time to learn from their mistakes and follow a different path. It is also due to the fact that young people do not have a fully developed brain, nor a solid understanding of themselves, which leads them to commit more irresponsible actions.
However, we are currently deterring this goal. The juvenile justice system is not operating in the way that it should. First of all, many young people are not given the necessary skills to rehabilitate and live a different or better life. Moreover, the stigma of criminality is often attached to them. For example, many of them need to disclose their criminal past when applying to jobs or other opportunities. This does not allow them to begin a new chapter in their lives, which limits their future potential.