Cara H. Drinan: The War on Kids: How American Juvenile Justice Lost Its Way New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 2018, 153 pp, ISBN: 0190605553

Excerpt

Terrence Graham attempted to rob a local barbeque restaurant at the age of seventeen. He was sentenced to life without parole until the Supreme Court ruled on his case, Graham v. Florida, that life without parole was cruel and unusual punishment for non-homicide juvenile offenders. His sentence was subsequently reduced to twenty-five years. Drinan’s The War on Kids is replete with stories like Terrence’s, focusing primarily on the many failings of the American juvenile justice system. Drinan explores the evolution of the American juvenile justice system, the children who inevitably get caught in the system, and what it means to grow up in the prison context. She then discusses the opportunities and room for reform. The ultimate conclusion of The War on Kids is that America must launch a “War for Kids.” Drinan’s vision for a “War for Kids” includes eliminating juvenile life without parole sentences, mandatory minimum sentences, and even juvenile incarceration itself. …