Zimring, F. E., Langer, M., and Tanenhaus, D. S.: Juvenile Justice in Global Perspective

Excerpt

Juvenile Justice in Global Perspective edited by Franklin E. Zimring, Máximo Langer and David S. Tanenhaus, provides a glimpse into the many different juvenile justice systems found throughout the world, beginning with Europe and ending with South Korea and Japan. The book seeks to provide a history of the juvenile justice systems in each country it describes, beginning with the formation of different juvenile justice structures and how reforms shaped them into the more modern systems that are seen today. After giving a detailed analysis of the juvenile justice systems around the world that the book aims to describe and analyze, the authors finish with possible explanations of the spread of separate juvenile justice systems throughout the world after the first appeared in Chicago in 1899. Based on the analyses of the different juvenile justice systems throughout the world, it is clear that while each has its own unique traits specific to the needs of the region, there are also common traits shared in each one. For example, most recognize that the age of criminal responsibility is 18 and almost all prohibit the use of life sentences or death as a form of punishment for minors. By examining some of these similarities, this book provides a fascinating look into the structures and functions of the world’s different outlooks on juvenile justice. …