Delinquency and Juvenile Justice in American Society

Critique of Legal Order

Crime Control in Capitalist Society

Richard Quinney, Randall G. Shelden

Originally published thirty years ago, Critique of the Legal Order remains highly relevant for the twenty-first century. Here Richard Quinney provides a critical look at the legal order in capitalist society. Using a traditional Marxist perspective, he argues that the legal order is not intended to reduce crime and suffering, but to maintain class differences and a social order that mainly benefits the ruling class. Quinney challenges modern criminologists to examine their own positions. As "ancillary agents of power," criminologists provide information that governing elites use to manipulate and control those who threaten the system. Quinney's original and thorough analysis of "crime control bureaucracies" and the class basis of such bureaucracies anticipates subsequent research and theorizing about the "crime control industry," a system that aims at social control of marginalized populations, rather than elimination of the social conditions that give rise to crime. He forcefully argues that technology applied to a "war against crime," together with academic scholarship, is used to help maintain social order to benefit a ruling class. Quinney also suggests alternatives. Anticipating the work of Noam Chomsky, he suggests we must first overcome a powerful media that provides a "general framework" that serves as the "boundary of expression." Chomsky calls this the manufacture of consent by providing necessary illusions. Quinney calls for a critical philosophy that enables us to transcend the current order and seek an egalitarian socialist order based upon true democratic principles. This core study for criminologists should interest those with a critical perspective on contemporary society.

Controlling the Dangerous Classes

A History of Criminal Justice in America, Third Edition

Randall G. Shelden, Pavel V. Vasiliev

Throughout history, the powerful have created laws, developed agencies to enforce those laws, and established institutions to punish lawbreakers. Maintaining the social order to their advantage resulted in the systematic repression of disadvantaged groups—the “dangerous classes.” The third edition retains a historical approach to exploring patterns of social control and, through current examples, demonstrates how those strategies continue today. The authors trace the roots of race, class, and gender bias in how laws are written, interpreted, and applied. The management of dangerous classes is not a recent phenomenon; there is a long history of keeping those who derive the least advantage from the status quo (and therefore pose the greatest threat) under control. There was and is one system of justice for the privileged and a very different system for the less privileged. The criminal justice system—from the law to daily operations of the police, courts, and corrections—generally comes down hardest on those with the least amount of power and influence and is the most lenient with those with the most power and influence. The book raises critical questions. What is a crime? What is law? Whose interests are served by the law and the criminal justice system? What patterns are repeated generation after generation? How does the criminal justice system relate to larger issues such as social inequality, social class, race, and gender? Contemplation of these topics contributes to informed public dialogue and careful deliberation about the present state and the future of criminal justice.

Youth Gangs in American Society

Randall G. Shelden, Sharon K. Tracy, William B. Brown

A comprehensive and highly engaging look at gangs, their culture and activities as well as the most recent research and statistical information.

Controlling the Dangerous Classes

A History of Criminal Justice in America

Randall G. Shelden

This text covers the history of criminal justice from a critical perspective and explores the historical biases of the criminal justice system. The overall theme of this book is that both the making of laws and the interpretation and application of these laws throughout the history of the criminal justice system has, historically, been class, gender, and racially biased. Moreover, one of the major functions of the criminal justice system has been to control those from the most disadvantaged sectors of the population, that is, the "dangerous classes." This theme is explored using a historical model, tracing the development of criminal law through the development of the police institution, the juvenile justice system, and the prison system.

Our Punitive Society

Race, Class, Gender and Punishment in America

Randall G. Shelden

This brand new text identifies the macroeconomic forces relevant to imprisonmentpoverty and political powerlessnessand explores viable and humane alternatives to our current incarceration binge.

Criminal Justice in America

A Sociological Approach

Randall G. Shelden

Description unavailable for this volume in the current provider response.

American Youth Violence

Franklin E. Zimring

In the past decade, alarming reports of youth violence have appeared with increasing frequency in the news media. Legislators across the United States have responded to this sense of national emergency by changing many of the laws designed to cope with juvenile offenders. But are we really in the midst of a surge in youth violence? More to the point, what causes youth violence and what should we do about it? Franklin Zimring offers the definitive examination of adolescent violence in the United States both as a social phenomenon and a policy problem. This book covers the range of youth violence issues in the 1990s, from crime statistics to demographic projections to new legislation. The result is a thorough debunking of Congressional predictions of "a coming storm of juvenile violence" and the half-baked policy proposals that accompany such warnings. The book sets forth comprehensive and dispassionate analyses of three key areas of youth violence policy: adolescent firearms possession and use, standards for transfer from juvenile to criminal court jurisdiction, and legal sanctions for adolescents who kill. Throughout the book, the core issues of youth violence in the 1990s are examined with an unprecedented degree of analytic rigor. Zimring also offers an appropriate set of responses to youth violence that are consistent with a positive future for the juvenile court and for America's children. Timely and authoritative, American Youth Violence gives students, scholars, and policy makers a much-needed tool with which to fashion a constructive response to one of the nation's most disturbing social ills.

Rethinking Juvenile Justice

Elizabeth S. Scott, Laurence Steinberg

What should we do with teenagers who commit crimes? Are they children whose offenses are the result of immaturity and circumstances, or are they in fact criminals? “Adult time for adult crime” has been the justice system’s mantra for the last twenty years. But locking up so many young people puts a strain on state budgets—and ironically, the evidence suggests it ultimately increases crime. In this bold book, two leading scholars in law and adolescent development offer a comprehensive and pragmatic way forward. They argue that juvenile justice should be grounded in the best available psychological science, which shows that adolescence is a distinctive state of cognitive and emotional development. Although adolescents are not children, they are also not fully responsible adults. Elizabeth Scott and Laurence Steinberg outline a new developmental model of juvenile justice that recognizes adolescents’ immaturity but also holds them accountable. Developmentally based laws and policies would make it possible for young people who have committed crimes to grow into responsible adults, rather than career criminals, and would lighten the present burden on the legal and prison systems. In the end, this model would better serve the interests of justice, and it would also be less wasteful of money and lives than the harsh and ineffective policies of the last generation.

Gangs and Organized Crime

George W. Knox, Gregg Etter, Carter F. Smith

In Gangs and Organized Crime, George W. Knox, Gregg W. Etter, and Carter F. Smith offer an informed and carefully investigated examination of gangs and organized crime groups, covering street gangs, prison gangs, outlaw motorcycle gangs, and organized crime groups from every continent. The authors have spent decades investigating gangs as well as researching their history and activities, and this dual professional-academic perspective informs their analysis of gangs and crime groups. They take a multidisciplinary approach that combines criminal justice, public policy and administration, law, organizational behavior, sociology, psychology, and urban planning perspectives to provide insight into the actions and interactions of a variety of groups and their members. This textbook is ideal for criminal justice and sociology courses on gangs as well as related course topics like gang behavior, gang crime and the inner city, organized crime families, and transnational criminal groups. Gangs and Organized Crime is also an excellent addition to the professional’s reference library or primer for the general reader. More information is available at the supporting website – www.gangsandorganizedcrime.com

(In)justice for Juveniles

Rethinking the Best Interests of the Child

Ira M. Schwartz

In this highly charged, insightful investigation, Ira Schwartz takes us through a fascinating inquiry into the entire juvenile justice system in the United States. Tracing the past twenty years of attempted reforms through current trends, he measures the impact of various administrative, legal, and fiscal reform efforts and illustrtes how the contemporary juvenile justice system is still in shambles for the majority of our youth.

Girls in Trouble with the Law

Laurie Schaffner

Juvenile arrest rates in the United States have declined over the past decade, yet the percentage of girls in trouble with the law increased. Girls now enter the juvenile legal system for violent offenses in addition to minor violations for which previous generations of young women have always been detained. In Girls in Trouble with the Law, sociologist Laurie Schaffner takes us inside female detention centers and explores the worlds of those who are incarcerated. Across the country, she finds t.

Juvenile Justice: A Social, Historical, and Legal Perspective

A Social, Historical, and Legal Perspective

Preston Elrod, R. Scott Ryder

Juvenile Justice: A Social, Historical, and Legal Perspective, Fifth Edition guides students in developing a sound and balanced understanding of juvenile justice and the social, legal, and historical context that shapes juvenile justice practice. Throughout the text, there are FYIs, Myths v. Reality, Comparative Focus, and Interviews that highlight important facts, dispel common myths, compare practices in the United States with those of other countries, and allow readers to hear from present and former juvenile justice practitioners. Each chapter also contains critical thinking questions intended to help students examine key issues raised in the chapter and a discussion of important legal issues related to chapter content. Every new print copy includes an access code to the Navigate Companion Website that features interactive and informative learning resources to gauge understanding and help students study more effectively.

Delinquency and Juvenile Justice in American Society

Second Edition

Randall G. Shelden

Extensively revised, the second edition blends theory, research, and applications into a superb overview of the complex issues surrounding juvenile delinquency and societys attempts to address juvenile crime. After providing an excellent historical foundation, Shelden presents the theories essential to understanding crime and delinquency. He then explores the system and its effects on juveniles and society, including comprehensive coverage of female delinquency. The social, legal, and political influences on how the public perceives juveniles and the inequality in U.S. society that affects families, communities, and schools are highlighted throughout the book. The concluding chapter looks at solutions that have worked and identifies trends in treating juvenile delinquency. The authors almost four decades of teaching about and researching juveniles and the system make him eminently qualified to offer readers the tools necessary to think critically about delinquency and to evaluate the policies enacted to manage the juveniles who violate the laws. Delinquency and Juvenile Justice in American Society, 2/E provides affordable, up-to-date, easily accessible, and thorough analysis of a significant topic.

Delinquency and Juvenile Justice in American Society

Third Edition

Randall G. Shelden, Emily I. Troshynski

What is delinquency? What are the pathways to offending? What prevention strategies exist? To understand delinquency, we need to overcome stereotypical thinking and implicit biases. This engaging, affordable text explores the impact of gendered, racial, and class attitudes on decisions to arrest, detain, adjudicate, and place youths in the juvenile justice system. Shelden and Troshynski highlight the social, legal, and political influences on how the public perceives juveniles. They look at the influences of family and schools on delinquency, as well as the impact of gender, trauma, and mental health issues. Discussions of topics such as the school-to-prison pipeline, disproportionate minority contact, and inequality provide a nuanced perspective on delinquency—a critical examination of social policies intended to control delinquency and the populations most likely to enter the juvenile justice system. The authors also examine the dramatically declining juvenile crime rate and advances in neuroscience that have fostered substantive reforms. These alternatives to confinement are replacing the institutions that have repeatedly produced failure with rehabilitative programs that offer hope for a more promising future.

Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention

Report of the Task Force on Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention

Task Force on Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention

This report focuses on national standards designed to improve delinquency prevention efforts and the juvenile justice system. The set of standards and goals on juvenile justice and delinquency prevention is designed to play a significant role in the national effort to reduce criminality and encourage a consistent jurisprudence for youth. Standards are included on most aspects of the juvenile justice system, including delinquency prevention, organization and coordination of delinquency prevention programs, police roles and responsibilities in the juvenile justice system, jurisdiction and processes of the juvenile court, and the adjudication process. Also covered are standards on endangered children, dispositions, prosecution and defense services, intake and correctional services, and planning and evaluation in the juvenile justice system.

Juvenile Justice in America

Clemens Bartollas, Stuart J. Miller

For juvenile justice/juvenile delinquency courses in Criminal Justice, Criminology and Sociology departments. Fully focused on the important issues, emerging trends, contemporary research, and special challenges facing juvenile justice today, this comprehensive exploration of the American juvenile justice system covers the history and philosophy of juvenile justice, the current practices for processing youthful offenders, the detention of juveniles, and the diversion of youth from the juvenile justice system. Unique in its approach, it gives students an "up-close and personal" view of the fascinating and sometimes tragic world of the juvenile offender and the personal, psychological and thinking processes that characterize juvenile misbehavior.

Juvenile Crime, Juvenile Justice

Institute of Medicine, National Research Council, Commission on Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education, Board on Children, Youth, and Families, Committee on Law and Justice, Panel on Juvenile Crime: Prevention, Treatment, and Control

Even though youth crime rates have fallen since the mid-1990s, public fear and political rhetoric over the issue have heightened. The Columbine shootings and other sensational incidents add to the furor. Often overlooked are the underlying problems of child poverty, social disadvantage, and the pitfalls inherent to adolescent decisionmaking that contribute to youth crime. From a policy standpoint, adolescent offenders are caught in the crossfire between nurturance of youth and punishment of criminals, between rehabilitation and "get tough" pronouncements. In the midst of this emotional debate, the National Research Council's Panel on Juvenile Crime steps forward with an authoritative review of the best available data and analysis. Juvenile Crime, Juvenile Justice presents recommendations for addressing the many aspects of America's youth crime problem. This timely release discusses patterns and trends in crimes by children and adolescents—trends revealed by arrest data, victim reports, and other sources; youth crime within general crime; and race and sex disparities. The book explores desistance—the probability that delinquency or criminal activities decrease with age—and evaluates different approaches to predicting future crime rates. Why do young people turn to delinquency? Juvenile Crime, Juvenile Justice presents what we know and what we urgently need to find out about contributing factors, ranging from prenatal care, differences in temperament, and family influences to the role of peer relationships, the impact of the school policies toward delinquency, and the broader influences of the neighborhood and community. Equally important, this book examines a range of solutions: Prevention and intervention efforts directed to individuals, peer groups, and families, as well as day care-, school- and community-based initiatives. Intervention within the juvenile justice system. Role of the police. Processing and detention of youth offenders. Transferring youths to the adult judicial system. Residential placement of juveniles. The book includes background on the American juvenile court system, useful comparisons with the juvenile justice systems of other nations, and other important information for assessing this problem.

Juvenile Justice and Delinquency

David Springer, Albert Roberts

Traces the progress toward resolving critical juvenile justice and delinquency issues, and to provide cutting-edge intervention strategies to effectively rehabilitate juvenile offenders and prevent delinquency. The 21 chapters in this book are divided into four sections. Part I provides an overview of juvenile delinquency and the juvenile justice system. In this section, we examine historical, political, legal, and arrest delinquency trends and consider comprehensive community planning as one strategy for improving the juvenile justice system. Part II explores early crime prevention strategies, effective programs to reduce antisocial behavior and school bullying, and the powerful relationship between school performance and juvenile delinquency. Part III examines and critiques a range of developmental, familial, and sociological theories that are commonly used to explain and understand juvenile delinquency. Finally, in Part IV, we examine a range of juvenile justice treatment and policy alternatives, including mental health screening and assessment, suicide prevention, evidence-based intervention models, police responses and strategies to delinquency, drug and mental health courts, therapeutic jurisprudence, restorative justice, female delinquency, and community-based after-care.