Rehabilitating juvenile justice /

Over the past decade, individuals have become increasingly irate over youthful crime and the perceived response or nonresponse by the juvenile justice system to delinquents. With clarity, analytical insight, and extensive knowledge of juvenile justice operations, the authors constructively confront these and related topics and provide solutions. They command the American public to ``get on with the business of thinking carefully about what can and should be done with juvenile offenders on the basis of the best available knowledge.'' Using historical and empirical data, Shireman and Reamer begin the dialogue by examining juvenile misbehavior/delinquency rates, community response, and the development of juvenile justice policy. They systematically investigate assumptions underlying the juvenile court ``child saving'' philosophy. They also discuss challenges arising from legal, social science, program evaluation, and lay citizen sources, relating them to societal and youth concerns. Shireman and Reamer offer a readily implemented juvenile justice model responsive to prior issues and values. Excellent selected bibliography. This timely book is a must read for college students, faculty, juvenile justice professionals, and general readers interested in crime and juvenile justice. Recommended for all libraries.-J.H. Larson, University of North Dakota