Description
Book SynopsisJuveniles who commit crimes often find themselves in court systems that do not account for their young age, but it wasn't always this way. The original aim of a separate juvenile justice system was to treat young offenders as the children they were, considering their unique child status and amenability for reform. Now, after years punishing young offenders as if they were adults, slowly the justice system is making changes that would allow the original vision for juvenile justice to finally materialize.In its original design, the founders focused on treating youth offenders separately from adults and with a different approach. The hallmarks of this approach appreciated the fact that youth cannot fully understand the consequences of their actions and are therefore worthy of reduced culpability. The original design for youth justice prioritized brief and confidential contact with the juvenile justice system, so as to avoid the stigma that would otherwise mar a youth's chances for success
Trade ReviewThis text could be of interest to those in the juvenile justice field, as it provides a good analysis of the development of the system. * Corrections Today *
This material would be of value to those that are looking at what has been done in the past and looking for questions to help further their questions for what can be done in the future. * Journal of Youth and Adolescence *
A Return to Justice, a comprehensive, eminently readable overview of America's broken juvenile "justice" system. Ashley Nellis deftly interweaves history, law, social science, and politics as she examines the problems that have long plagued the system - - including gross racial disparities, soaring recidivism, and high rates of institutional violence and abuse, among other - - and explores proven and promising alternatives. This book is essential reading for anyone interested in how our nation treats, and should treat, its most vulnerable children. -- Laura Cohen, Clinical Professor of Law, Justice Virginia Long Scholar and Director, Criminal and Youth Justice Clinic Rutgers School of Law, Newark
This is a well-written, well-researched book that will be accessible to many audiences. Nellis has a healthy skepticism for the successive "reforms" of the juvenile justice system over the last century since its creation. -- Mark Soler, Executive Director, Center for Children's Law and Policy
Nellis engagingly takes us on a journey that begins with the origins of the juvenile justice system with its vision of rehabilitation through the dark valleys of Reform Schools, Tough Love, Zero Tolerance and other false turns. She discusses the substantial gains and promise of the 21st century with evidence based interventions and a return to the system’s original vision that kids are different. Nellis revises the original vision by discussing the importance of caring for the whole child, not just addressing the child’s delinquent act, and the serious the role of race in the juvenile justice system. Nellis lucidly provides us the comprehensive facts to understand this on-going journey. -- Paolo Annino, JD, PhD, Glass Professor of Public Interest Law and Distinguished University Scholar, Public Interest Law Center, FSU College of Law
Table of ContentsIntroduction 1: VISIONS FOR JUVENILE JUSTICE 2: IMPROVING SAFEGUARDS 3: RACE-BASED REACTIONS TO THE RISE IN YOUTH VIOLENCE 4: FROM REHABILITATION TO RETRIBUTION 5: COLLATERAL CONSEQUENCES OF YOUTH ENCOUNTERS WITH THE LAW 6: SHIFTING CLIMATE FOR REFORM 7: POLICING AMERICA’S SCHOOLS 8: IMPEDIMENTS TO SUSTAINABLE REFORM Conclusion
