Dispatches from Juvenile Hall: Fixing a Failing System by Aarons, John, Smith, Lisa, Wagner, Linda(August 25, 2009) Paperback

by John Aarons

A revolutionary book that offers a fresh, bold approach to confronting the juvenile crime epidemic With the rise of violent crimes committed by teenagers in recent years, heated discussion has arisen over the societal factors that lead to juvenile criminality and the ways that public institutions are failing to curtail them. Now a team of experts with decades of collective hands-on experience present a book that cuts through the hype and paranoia to offer real solutions. Drawing on actual case studies, Dispatches from Juvenile Hall shows how conventional "tough on crime" tactics have only worsened the problem, and presents a new blueprint for change that incorporates punitive action, rehabilitation, and family intervention-a progressive program that will encourage and enlighten all those concerned about the future of our youth.

Genres: Nonfiction

Paperback

First published August 25, 2009

Reviews

[Elevate Difference · Rating 4 out of 5]

As depressing as they can often be, I’m generally interested in books on social justice issues. It’s essential to know the facts about issues before getting into a spirited debate about them. As an Urban Studies grad student, I’m especially interested in books on social justice as academic material, particularly ones on youth issues. Dispatches from Juvenile Hall engaged both the generally interest and the academically-minded parts of my brain—and it is a great read from either perspective.

Dispatches from Juvenile Hall gains most of its power from the narratives, which are told by their subjects in first person style with brief introductions and conclusions by the authors. We hear from the very people whose lives are most affected by the juvenile justice system: people who are still in the system and those who have been released who are willing to share their stories, as well as those who have spent their lives trying to help those on the inside. The authors, who have decades of experience in youth services work, present the narratives with little embellishment, which works well and are very effective. For someone who has never had firsthand experience with juvenile detention, their words are often brutal and shocking.

Jasmine, the subject of the book’s opening narrative, began using meth when she was eleven years old. A pattern of drug use, incarceration, and running away from home began from there. Michael, now a tattoo artist in South Carolina, was kicked out of his home at sixteen because his mother felt he was old enough to be a man. As a homeless teen, police generally ignored him, until he was apprehended for felony stealing. Stephanie, a high school guidance counselor and former juvenile probation officer, tells stories about the at-risk youth she worked with in both jobs, and stresses the importance of early detection of warning signs that a teen is in trouble.

Dispatches from Juvenile Hall isn’t just a collection of personal stories; there is also a section on how the system can be fixed. It includes a fascinating (if brief) history of juvenile justice in the United States and an analysis of what the authors believe does and does not work when working with juvenile offenders. Clearly, given the rates of juvenile incarceration, the hard-on-crime position currently taken by the juvenile justice system doesn’t deter crime. This is not to say the authors suggest being “soft” on crime; in fact, they argue it’s better to be “smart on crime.”

The authors suggest a blend of corrections reforms—like separating low-, medium-, and high-risk offenders and using cognitive behavioral strategies and gender-specific services—and rehabilitative treatments, and suggest that there can (and should) be a lively, fact-based debate about the United States’ attitude toward juvenile justice. Dispatches from Juvenile Hall is a thoughtful, intelligent, affecting piece of that debate.

Review by Dana Reinoos

[Lancelot O'Casey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. I really feel like I have more tools to help serve my community. I read this book because I'm going into education. While reading I reflected on some of the factors that may have led to my criminal behavior as a teenager. Now after reading this I can help identify low/mid/high risk youth that may just need another adult in their lives to pay attention and interact with them. "Plant the seed" as they said.
Very inspirational!

[Sharlyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is largely composed of first-person stories from young people with experience in various juvenile justice systems, but is framed by adult juvenile justice workers. Those narratives are compelling for the most part, and they do the job of "humanizing" these young people, which seems to be part of the point. The other main purposes of the book are describing and demonstrating causes of juvenile delinquency and suggesting solutions. While the authors advocate for evidence-based practices and community-based programs and protest the overuse of youth detention/incarceration, they constantly reiterate their support for punishment as a response. They frame this as a way to hold young people accountable for their actions, but largely ignore non-punitive methods of accountability. They also include statements like, "Punitive responses ... provide a degree of restoration to the community," but offer no explanation as to why that's true. Maybe it's a political strategy not to seem too "soft," but it's obnoxious and not adequately justified. As in the above statement, the authors regularly refer to "the community" in a way that excludes the young people and their families instead of discussing them as part of a community and attempting to understand how policies regarding individuals impact entire communities--which is especially important given the concentration of law enforcement and incarceration in certain, often African American, communities.

I kept thinking to myself, "I should give this book to my grandma." If you work on juvenile justice issues and have people close to you who don't really understand why you do that, this book would be an accessible gift to help explain that. Othwerwise, it's OK train fodder.

[Bryan Mclellan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very interesting read. Thoughtful chapters about why many traditional American beliefs and impulses concerning juvenile criminality are wrong. Great interviews with survivors and advocates from the juvenile justice system. A must read for anyone wondering why so many fall through the cracks or aren't helped by being "hard on crime."

[Massanutten Regional Library · Rating 5 out of 5]

Carol, Central patron, June 2016, 5 stars:

Must read for everybody. It's fast and easy to go through and learn personal stories of kids who have been incarcerated, people who work with them, and the best strategies to help youth and our communities. It's very relevant to Harrisonburg and the surrounding area and EMU and JMU's work with Restorative Justice.

[Alisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I find juvenile justice in our country to be completely tragic. This book was interesting, frustrating, and upsetting, but had some valuable ideas for reforming a system that clearly doesn't work. It might be a little outdated, but I doubt much has changed in the past few years.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I learned that there is more reason for hope that by using what has been learned through years of research can make a significant difference in youth continuing in the juvenile justice system. I especially enjoyed reading the youth's perspectives and their stories. That made it real for me.

[Themis Papaioannou · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good book on the subject of Juvenile Justice Reform.

[DM]

Part of a book club now!