Juvenile justice : policies, programs, and services /

Distinguished scholars have collaborated with Roberts to produce a descriptive account of American juvenile justice. In a factual and methodological fashion, the authors define key terms, recount the historical background associated with juvenile justice programs in the US, and describe current juvenile justice processing and future prospects. Each chapter concludes with a set of discussion questions. Authors of contributed chapters offer differing perspectives (criminological, legal, social-ecological, and social work) that pose opportunities for in-depth discussion. However, there is no attempt to explore etiological factors of the progression from misbehavior to delinquency and its linkage to juvenile justice processing. The presentation seems to obscure the genesis of the various programmatic responses to juvenile misbehavior and delinquency. A clearly written book with extensive bibliography. Recommended for libraries serving undergraduates. J. H. Larson Minnesota State University System