Book review: Youth crime and justice: Critical issues, Barry Goldson and John Muncie (eds). London: Sage Publications, 2006. Comparative youth justice: Critical issues, John Muncie and Barry Goldson (eds). London: Sage Publications, 2006
| DOI | 10.1177/14624745070090040408 |
| Date | 01 October 2007 |
| Published date | 01 October 2007 |
| Author | David A. Green |
| Subject Matter | Articles |
in academia and public policy fora. These discussions must be at the centre of a
grassroots movement for change with ‘engaged citizens who understand the word
democracy as a verb rather than as a noun’ (p. 30, emphases in original) because ‘[e]very
single act of criminal punishment is an overtly political act’ (p. 158, emphasis in
original). In his conclusion, Hallett makes certain recommendations: he urges the US
government to abandon the Drug War and encourages the general public to get active
and learn to question punishment. Ultimately, the United States should abolish for-
profit imprisonment.
This book has much to offer the non-US reader. As a reader coming from a country
which does not (yet) have any private prisons, but which has in recent years seen a large
increase in the incarceration of ethnic minorities, this book is a timely reminder of the
past, present and possible future of imprisonment internationally.
Cormac Behan
Ad Astra Scholar, University College Dublin, Ireland
Youth crime and justice: Critical issues, Barry Goldson and John Muncie (eds). London:
Sage Publications, 2006.
Comparative youth justice: Critical issues, John Muncie and Barry Goldson (eds).
London: Sage Publications, 2006.
A colleague once accused another of ‘slicing the salami too thin’ by publishing several
insufficiently differentiated articles on one topic. I must admit this term came to mind
when I first encountered these two books on the shelf. However, I was wrong. This is
a brilliant set of edited volumes that will be an indispensable and timely source of infor-
mation and analysis for anyone with an interest in issues of youth justice and compara-
tive criminology. Youth crime and justice will appeal most to a British audience because
of its focus on policy and practice in England and Wales. Comparative youth justice
should have global appeal, though British readers will likely find it especially useful.
Most of the chapters in Youth crime and justice are keen to scrutinize the purported
significance of evidence for an impressively wide range of youth policy developments.
Taken together the chapters cover a remarkable amount of territory, each one succinctly
addressing a particular aspect of the field, including historical accounts; race, class and
gender issues; early intervention; restorative justice; community supervision; custody;
community safety; urban regeneration and youth unemployment programmes. Three
chapters in particular stand out. Those by Tim Bateman, David Smith and Fergus
McNeill are especially good for their analyses of what constitutes ‘evidence’, how it is
variously and selectively assessed, utilized, overstretched and ignored. These authors
importantly remind us of the limitations of social science research and should cause us
to consider with caution the findings of the growing ‘what works’ literature.
If any criticism of Youth crime and justice is warranted, and this is questionable, it
would be that there is no chapter addressing the nature, role and significance of media
representations of youth crime and justice. This is unfortunate because media con-
structions are invoked whenever the authors refer, as they often do, to the highly influ-
ential and problematic political imperatives that continually undermine principled and
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