The Best Juvenile Law Books of All Time

"The text is written from a practical standpoint, which students are likely to understand and appreciate.". ―Lindsey Livingston Runell, J.D., Ph.D., Kutztown University. Brief, focused, and up-to-date, Juvenile Justice: A Guide to Theory, Policy, and Practice, Ninth Edition, by Steven M. Cox, Jennifer M. Allen, and Robert D. Hanser, is a must-have text that takes students on a journey through the practical realities of the juvenile justice system and the most current topics in the field.

Students not only learn about the history, process, and theories of the juvenile justice system, but they also gain access to the latest crime measurements and explore important issues such as community-based sanctions, treatment and rehabilitation, gangs, and international youth crime. Emphasizing evidence-based practices, the authors guide readers through the methods and problems of the system and offer realistic insights for students interested in a career in juvenile justice. Real-life examples, excellent pedagogical features, and a complete online ancillary package are provided to help instructors effectively teach the course and help students learn interactively.

In 2003, when Terrence Graham was sixteen, he and three other teens attempted to rob a barbeque restaurant in Jacksonville, Florida. Though they left with no money, and no one was seriously injured, Terrence was sentenced to die in prison for his involvement in that crime. As shocking as Terrence's sentence sounds, it is merely a symptom of contemporary American juvenile justice practices. In the United States, adolescents are routinely transferred out of juvenile court and into adult criminal court without any judicial oversight. Once in adult court, children can be sentenced without regard for their youth.

Juveniles are housed in adult correctional facilities, they may be held in solitary confinement, and they experience the highest rates of sexual and physical assault among inmates. Until 2005, children convicted in America's courts were subject to the death penalty; today, they still may be sentenced to die in prison-no matter what efforts they make to rehabilitate themselves. America has waged a war on kids. In The War on Kids, Cara Drinan reveals how the United States went from being a pioneer to an international pariah in its juvenile sentencing practices. Academics and journalists have long recognized the failings of juvenile justice practices in this country and have called for change. Despite the uncertain political climate, there is hope that recent Supreme Court decisions may finally make those calls a reality. The War on Kids seizes upon this moment of judicial and political recognition that children are different in the eyes of the law. Drinan chronicles the shortcomings of juvenile justice by drawing upon social science, legal decisions, and first-hand correspondence with Terrence and others like him-individuals whose adolescent errors have cost them their lives. At the same time, The War on Kids maps out concrete steps that states can take to correct the course of American juvenile justice.

For courses in juvenile justice. An In-depth Introduction to Juvenile Justice. The Juvenile Justice System: Delinquency, Processing, and the Law is a comprehensive study of the juvenile justice system that examines how juvenile defenders are defined and classified and utilizes the current literature to illustrate the significant stages of juvenile processing and recent changes and developments in the field. This edition puts an increased focus on evidence-based programs that are effective in preventing and treating juvenile offenders.

In addition to discussing policies and practices in the US system, examples of comparative foreign juvenile justice practice are also presented.The Juvenile Justice System, Eighth Edition makes the connection between theory and practice through numerous real world examples and connects new students to the many exciting career paths in the field.