Franklin E. Zimring and David S. Tanenhaus (eds.): Choosing the Future for American Juvenile Justice, New York University Press, New York, 2014, 256 pp, ISBN: 9781479816873

Excerpt

The current state of the American juvenile system is failing both the juveniles and the rights related to their welfare and the welfare of others. Due to this, it is imperative for new policies to be incorporated into the system to achieve progressive reforms in juvenile justice. Franklin E. Zimring and David S. Tanenhaus’ Choosing the Future for American Juvenile Justice provides the resources and arguments for doing so, as their book seeks to aid the development of more effective directions of future policies and institutions relating to the juvenile court’s delinquency jurisdiction. The book is divided into three parts. The first section profiles the attitudes and legislative changes that were results of the 1990s and how they are a part of current reform discussions. The second section identifies six important priorities for law reform that should be acted upon in the immediate future. Lastly, the third section searches for strategies and appeals for the juvenile system with the intent of achieving progressive reforms. By focusing in-depth analysis on multiple factors from numerous angles, the book reveals that that the current system in place is not accomplishing its goal and must be reformed in a more practical manner. …