One of the most significant historical reforms used in dealing with juvenile offenders was the opening of the New York House of Refuge in 1825. Research this classic institution and define the social and judicial consequences of this reform movement on the juvenile justice system. What is your assessment of the groundbreaking work that took place, and how does it compare to our current child-saving movement?

Prior to the establishment of the New York House of Refuge, minors were treated about the same as adults within the criminal justice system; they went through the same court system and were jailed in the same prisons. The New York House of Refuge was an institution created to provide a separate place where child offenders could be institutionalized. It was founded in 1825, and inspired other "houses of refuge" to develop in other places throughout the country.
Part of the rationale in developing these houses of refuge was to combat the high rates of child poverty and to try to provide a solution. Vagrancy (i.e. homelessness and/or joblessness) was often treated criminally, so many children were put into penal institutions (alongside adult criminals) to take them off of the streets. In the prisons, the children experienced terrible living conditions, received no education, and would often be doomed to a life of poverty and crime even after they were released. Therefore, the houses of refuge were an attempt to keep children outside of these adult prisons.
The New York House of Refuge was a symbol of a growing movement to improve the lives of children within the country by fighting child poverty, reforming child labor laws, or establishing separate detention centers. The houses of refuge were different from prisons because they established order and put the children to work, teaching them important lessons in education and discipline. In practice, however, these institutions—while undoubtedly better than adult penal institutions and certainly a step in the right direction for children—were nonetheless miserable to live in.
However, these houses of refuge were a sign of the progressive movement's attempts to improve the lives of children. By the end of the century, in 1899, a separate court system was established in Cook County, Illinois to deal with juvenile offenders. By the early 1900s, the progressive movement passed child labor laws and other important reforms to benefit children. In the United States, much of this movement to improve the lives of children in society can be traced back to the establishment of the New York House of Refuge in 1825.
http://www.cjcj.org/mobile/Education1/Juvenile-Justice-History.html

https://criminal.findlaw.com/juvenile-justice/development-of-the-juvenile-justice-system.html

The New York House of Refuge was founded in 1825 as a way of dealing with juvenile offenders in a more humane manner. Previously, youths who committed crimes were sent to jails and other institutions where they had to serve time with adults. Sometimes, children were sent to jails or penitentiaries for noncriminal offenses because cities such as New York, plagued with high rates of poverty, had nowhere else to put them. Reformers John Griscom and Thomas Eddy started the Society for the Prevention of Pauperism in an effort to house juveniles in facilities where they would not be alongside criminal adults. Their efforts led to the founding of the New York House of Refuge, which was clearly a humane and important milestone in the juvenile justice movement. 
The New York House of Refuge was the first institution for juvenile offenders, and it led to similar institutions in many cities. The New York House of Refuge went on to house boys and girls and to employ them in making shoes and chairs as well as in tailoring. Children also received some educational instruction in subjects such as reading, writing, arithmetic, geography, and music. They were also required to have morning and evening prayers. Over time, these institutions developed into educational facilities, called training and industrial schools. They resulted in a social changes in the ways in which juvenile offenders were treated, including an emphasis on education and preparation for adult life. 
The New York House of Refuge also led to new forms of judicial treatment for juvenile offenders, including probation and out-of-home placement. The juvenile court system was first established in 1899 in Cook County, Illinois. This court system was based on the legal idea of the state as parens patriae (the state as parent), which meant that the state could act on the behalf of children. Judges had wide latitude to decide what was best for children, acting in their interest.
The current juvenile justice movement has moved away from this system, as the Supreme Court instituted changes in the 1960s that gave juvenile offenders due process rights, including the right to an attorney. As a result, the system became more like the adult criminal justice system than like the earlier parens patriae system. Many juvenile facilities became more punitive in the 1980s, though there are some efforts in California and elsewhere to reform this system. Today's system is very different than earlier reform efforts such as the movement that established the New York House of Refuge, as it places less emphasis on humane treatment and rehabilitation of juvenile offenders.  
http://www.cjcj.org/mobile/education1/juvenile-justice-history.html

https://www.nytimes.com/1860/01/23/archives/our-city-charities-the-newyork-house-of-refuge-for-juvenile.html