A clear, concise, well-organized call for action designed to reach a general audience.
An expert on juvenile sentencing and criminal justice reform asserts that the American juvenile justice system, once a world leader, is now in dire need of reform.
“My aim in this book,” writes Drinan (Law Professor/Catholic Univ.), “is to shine a light on the reality of juvenile sentencing practices in America, to humanize the experiences of those juveniles within the system, and to contribute to the momentum for juvenile justice reform.” She explores the dynamics of a system still meting out harsh treatment to child defendants despite recent promising Supreme Court decisions on juvenile sentencing laws. In its Graham v. Florida (2010) and Miller v. Alabama (2012) rulings, the court struck down a majority of the states’ juvenile sentencing laws, outlawing life-without-parole for juveniles who commit nonhomicide offenses and mandating individualized sentencing for those children who commit even the most serious crimes. However, as Drinan amply shows, implementation of these decisions has been unpredictable, slow, and uneven. The author points to the roles played by race, poverty, incarceration of parents, and exposure to violence in the lives of young offenders and examines the legal and policy decisions that determine their fates. Drinan makes clear that she is not arguing that society give young offenders a pass but that “society has an obligation to intervene in these children’s lives long before they commit criminal acts.” Throughout the book, interviews with incarcerated youth add a necessary intimate, human touch. The author explains the relevant Supreme Court cases, reveals the ways in which juveniles cope physically and mentally with imprisonment, and considers prospects for reform. After depicting how states have failed and emphasizing that “no child is born bad,” Drinan outlines the steps that states can take to ensure age-appropriate sentencing.
A clear, concise, well-organized call for action designed to reach a general audience.Pub Date: Nov. 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-19-060555-1
Page Count: 232
Publisher: Oxford Univ.
Review Posted Online: Aug. 27, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2017
This is not the Nutcracker sweet, as passed on by Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa. No, this is the original Hoffmann tale of 1816, in which the froth of Christmas revelry occasionally parts to let the dark underside of childhood fantasies and fears peek through. The boundaries between dream and reality fade, just as Godfather Drosselmeier, the Nutcracker's creator, is seen as alternately sinister and jolly. And Italian artist Roberto Innocenti gives an errily realistic air to Marie's dreams, in richly detailed illustrations touched by a mysterious light. A beautiful version of this classic tale, which will captivate adults and children alike. (Nutcracker; $35.00; Oct. 28, 1996; 136 pp.; 0-15-100227-4)
Pub Date: Oct. 28, 1996
ISBN: 0-15-100227-4
Page Count: 136
Publisher: Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1996
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
An extravaganza in Bemelmans' inimitable vein, but written almost dead pan, with sly, amusing, sometimes biting undertones, breaking through. For Bemelmans was "the man who came to cocktails". And his hostess was Lady Mendl (Elsie de Wolfe), arbiter of American decorating taste over a generation. Lady Mendl was an incredible person,- self-made in proper American tradition on the one hand, for she had been haunted by the poverty of her childhood, and the years of struggle up from its ugliness,- until she became synonymous with the exotic, exquisite, worshipper at beauty's whrine. Bemelmans draws a portrait in extremes, through apt descriptions, through hilarious anecdote, through surprisingly sympathetic and understanding bits of appreciation. The scene shifts from Hollywood to the home she loved the best in Versailles. One meets in passing a vast roster of famous figures of the international and artistic set. And always one feels Bemelmans, slightly offstage, observing, recording, commenting, illustrated.
Pub Date: Feb. 23, 1955
ISBN: 0670717797
Page Count: -
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: Oct. 25, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 1955
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