An accessible, informative introduction to the topic.
The complicated history and issues surrounding the punishment of teenage offenders is concisely and thoughtfully discussed in this examination of the juvenile-justice system outside and inside prison walls.
Jones begins with a brief history of U.S. criminal justice, noting that “the pendulum between punishment and rehabilitation models has swung back and forth as society’s mores change.” Examining the inclination toward rehabilitation, Jones discusses how treatment of teen offenders has moved from harsh punishment toward alternative models based upon brain-development research and incorporating alternative models like education, skills training, and therapy. Jones makes excellent use of statistics, research studies, and the voices of former teen offenders to examine what works and what does not. He shares insights from his own experiences working with juvenile offenders in Hennepin County, Minnesota. He also highlights the racial inequities in America’s criminal justice system, noting that “while minority kids make up about one-third of the U.S. juvenile population, they are two-thirds of the juvenile corrections population.” The book concludes with a look at alternatives to incarceration. One approach worthy of more discussion than is accorded here is reconciliation and restorative justice, which, in lieu of punishment, has the offender restore or repair the damage done to an individual or business and personally atone for the offense.
An accessible, informative introduction to the topic. (photos, source notes, glossary, bibliography, further reading) (Nonfiction. 12-18)Pub Date: Nov. 1, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-4677-7572-4
Page Count: 120
Publisher: Twenty-First Century/Lerner
Review Posted Online: Aug. 16, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2016
Small but mighty necessary reading.
A miniature manifesto for radical queer acceptance that weaves together the personal and political.
Eli, a cis gay white Jewish man, uses his own identities and experiences to frame and acknowledge his perspective. In the prologue, Eli compares the global Jewish community to the global queer community, noting, “We don’t always get it right, but the importance of showing up for other Jews has been carved into the DNA of what it means to be Jewish. It is my dream that queer people develop the same ideology—what I like to call a Global Queer Conscience.” He details his own isolating experiences as a queer adolescent in an Orthodox Jewish community and reflects on how he and so many others would have benefitted from a robust and supportive queer community. The rest of the book outlines 10 principles based on the belief that an expectation of mutual care and concern across various other dimensions of identity can be integrated into queer community values. Eli’s prose is clear, straightforward, and powerful. While he makes some choices that may be divisive—for example, using the initialism LGBTQIAA+ which includes “ally”—he always makes clear those are his personal choices and that the language is ever evolving.
Small but mighty necessary reading. (resources) (Nonfiction. 14-18)Pub Date: June 2, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-593-09368-9
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Penguin Workshop
Review Posted Online: March 28, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2020
Brief yet inspirational, this story will galvanize youth to use their voices for change.
Testa’s connection to and respect for nature compelled her to begin championing animal causes at the age of 10, and this desire to have an impact later propelled her to dedicate her life to fighting plastic pollution. Starting with the history of plastic and how it’s produced, Testa acknowledges the benefits of plastics for humanity but also the many ways it harms our planet. Instead of relying on recycling—which is both insufficient and ineffective—she urges readers to follow two additional R’s: “refuse” and “raise awareness.” Readers are encouraged to do their part, starting with small things like refusing to use plastic straws and water bottles and eventually working up to using their voices to influence business and policy change. In the process, she highlights other youth advocates working toward the same cause. Short chapters include personal examples, such as observations of plastic pollution in Mauritius, her maternal grandparents’ birthplace. Testa makes her case not only against plastic pollution, but also for the work she’s done, resulting in something of a college-admissions–essay tone. Nevertheless, the first-person accounts paired with science will have an impact on readers. Unfortunately, no sources are cited and the lack of backmatter is a missed opportunity.
Brief yet inspirational, this story will galvanize youth to use their voices for change. (Nonfiction. 12-18)Pub Date: Oct. 13, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-593-22333-8
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Penguin Workshop
Review Posted Online: July 26, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2020
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