Reviews for Youth Justice: Policy and Practice in Health and Social Care series No. 9

The average rating for Youth Justice: Policy and Practice in Health and Social Care series No. 9 based on 2 reviews is 4 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2020-11-29 00:00:00 Peter Molinaro It took me awhile to finish this book, because just when I became completely immersed in it, I left it on a bus in Canada. Despite how much I was enjoying it, I refused to re-buy it, spent a couple weeks waiting for it to arrive from the NYPL and then started reading other things. But I finally read the last 50 pages this morning. The book is well written. I found the re-tellings of the students crime stories and the psychological analysis of the individual students most interesting, but the author did a good job of breaking up the stories with facts about the penal system and youth crimes. The concept of "resocializing" these youth (or in some cases simply "socializing" them for the first time) is one that deserved more coverage. We don't learn a ton about the program the students go through outside of their time in "Captial Offenders" (a group therapy of sorts for the students that have behaved well and moved through all of Gidding's "phases") which is largely where, I think, the chances to bring about real change in these students lies. I can also understand the flip side of people who are afraid of releasing convicted murders back into "The Free". Aside from the fact that this program clearly has significantly lowered rates of recidivism, the best I can offer is something the author pointed out: When you convict a 14 year old to 40 years - they're going to get out by the time they're 54 and they're going to have just spent time in a cell hating the system that landed them here. Wouldn't you want to spend time at least trying to make them take ownership for their actions and hoping they can change? Also, in case anyone was worried, students that do not seem to be responding to the program or progressing are sent to prison. The boy who gleefully recounted his many murders wasn't given any more chances. They're not soft on these kids. They just work really hard to help them.

Review # 2 was written on 2018-08-21 00:00:00 Jeffrey Dover Incredibly powerful book that tells the story of the most progressive juvenile rehabilitation center in the US. And yes, it's in Texas. Shocking, right? Giddings State School is where the worst of the worst of juvenile offenders are sent. Murderers, rapists, entrenched gang leaders...people who are "beyond help." And they help them. Their philosophy lies in the basic concept that these teenagers have, as a protective mechanism, lost the ability to empathize. Through intensive therapy and group work (called resocialization), they push them to reconnect with their past and the pain they suffered and then show them how they inflicted that same pain onto others. Giddings doesn't look or feel like a prison. It's got beautiful open spaces, no guards carry weapons beyond pepper spray (and only a few have that), they are called "students" instead of prisoners, and everyone is treated with respect. From the outside, it looks like a pretty easy life for someone who's committed such a destructive crime. But the administrators claim that it's the "hard" way. In prison, instead of being forced to confront their lives and actions, they harden themselves and defer even more responsibility. Giddings, in constrast, is a grueling psychological experience where they are not allowed to indulge in "thinking errors" like making excuses or avoidance. While the program has drawn a lot of controversy (I mean, it's in Texas! You can imagine there are a lot of opponents.), no one care argue with the results. It works. Last Chance in Texas follows two students, one boy and one girl. After spending years earning privileges, they get the opportunity to do the Capital Offenses group. In small groups, each member tells his or her life story over several sessions. The rest of the kids in the group draw it out, asking questions and relating from their own experiences. They they role play key scenes from the kids life. After that, they go to telling their crime stories and it culminates with them role playing their crimes, the offender taking the role of their victim. The stories that Hubner witnessed and wrote about are absolutely heartbreaking. The amount of abuse and neglect that these kids have suffered is overwhelming. And then seeing them let go of their anger to accept responsibility (and guilt) for the crimes that they committed was amazing. A kid who successfully completes this group and other required activities will not be sent to adult prison. Other things the book touched on that made it a much more realistic and fair picture: a history of juvenile convictions (since I have a longtime interest in prison rights it was mostly familiar to me but I'm glad it was there to give context for readers who might not be as well versed), examples of students who "washed" out of the program and were passed on to their long prison sentences (although the Giddings school thinks most people can be reached, they admit the existence of true psychopaths and will remove them to protect the rest of the students), and the rights of the victim and their families. I have always respected the ability of people (especially teenagers) to change and be layered dynamic people and I strongly support the philosophy of looking at criminal justice system as a rehabilitative place instead of a punishment factory. But sometimes it is hard to look at people who have committed such atrocities and know what to do with them. This book (and program) offers solutions and most importantly, hope.