Reinventing Justice

The findings reported in this book are based upon ethnographic observations of drug courts throughout the United States and provide a glimpse into the unique character of the American drug court model, considering the qualities and consequences of this form of criminal adjudication.

Recipient of the 1993 American Society of Criminology′s August Vollmer Award for distinguished contribution to the profession of criminology Youth violence continues to rise at an alarming rate in a civilization that is being characterized as the most violent in history. Global economic transformations; weakened family, school, and church structures; and an inefficient juvenile justice system only add to the doomsday projections for troubled youngsters, who see little in the way of preventive advocacy. Reinventing Juvenile Justice presents an honest albeit painful view of the current status of justice for young offenders. Could it be that the celebrated "children′s court" has outlived its usefulness? This central question is raised by the authors in exploring whether the juvenile court can or should survive in the years ahead. With no core constituency in the political arena, the pressure to handle more children in adult courts and correctional facilities will only increase and the challenge of needed reform will go unmet. Among some of the other issues discussed are juvenile justice laws and court procedures, influences on probation petition and detention decisions, and the influence of gender and race on taking youth into custody. Students and caring professionals will find the invaluable material in this book of tremendous assistance in addressing a generation of young people on whom our world′s future depends. "This book is informative, not least about developments in the U.S.A, and is easy to read." --Youth and Policy "The authors have substantial reputations in the field and are well qualified to make recommendations. This book compares favorably with books offering different assessments and solutions." --Choice "[The book] has great market potential as a juvenile justice text and supplemental text. . . . [It] is very readable and well organized. . . . It will also have a broad appeal in the practitioner community . . . . Youth correction workers, probation officers, juvenile and family court judges, prosecutors, public defenders, child advocates, and youth service workers will find this to be a useful book." --Ira M. Schwartz, Professor and Director, The Center for the Study of Youth Policy, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor

The findings reported in this book are based upon ethnographic observations of drug courts throughout the United States and provide a glimpse into the unique character of the American drug court model, considering the qualities and consequences of this form of criminal adjudication.

Drug courts offer radically new ways to deal with the legal and social problems presented by repeat drug offenders, often dismissing criminal charges as an incentive for participation in therapeutic programs. Since the first drug court opened in 1989 in F.

Open government initiatives have become a defining goal for public administrators around the world. However, progress is still necessary outside of the executive and legislative sectors. Achieving Open Justice through Citizen Participation and Transparency is a pivotal reference source for the latest scholarly research on the implementation of open government within the judiciary field, emphasizing the effectiveness and accountability achieved through these actions. Highlighting the application of open government concepts in a global context, this book is ideally designed for public officials, researchers, professionals, and practitioners interested in the improvement of governance and democracy.

Correctional Ethics gathers the most prominent contributions to this burgeoning field, ranging from the philosophy of punishment through to ethical appraisals of incarceration, the professional responsibilities of prison personnel, and formative work in restorative justice. In addition, it provides an annotated research agenda to help shape the development of a comprehensive correctional ethic. For those working in correctional ethics, this collection provides an essential resource.

A painful view of the current state of juvenile justice in the United States is presented in this volume which asks whether the 'children's court' has outlived its usefulness. As pressure builds to handle more children in adult courts and to consign them to adult prisons, the authors explore alternatives to the custodial treatment of juveniles and suggest how the juvenile justice system can, and should, be reformed.

Many contemporary American middle schools are stuck in a state of "arrested development," failing to implement the original concept of middle schools to a varying, though equally corruptive degrees. The individual chapters of the book outline in detail how to counter this dangerous trend, offering guidance to those who seek immediate, significant, internal reforms before we lose the unique value of middle schools for our nation's adolescents.