Raised by the Courts; One Judge’s Insight into Juvenile Justice

by Irene Sullivan

• ISBN13: 9781607146384
• ISBN10: 160714638X
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2010-11-02
• Publisher: Kaplan Publishing

Summary

A veteran judge shares her vision for ending the vicious cycle of child abuse and crime.When 19-year-old Leo Boatman was convicted of the brutal murders of two college students, he told the judge, "I can't offer an explanation because there is none." But Judge Irene Sullivan knew there had to be more to the story than just a senseless crime, and she was determined to discover the root cause of Boatman's behavior. Corresponding with him in prison, Judge Sullivan learned of the failures and abuses of every system Boatman had passed through, each intended to prevent such a devastating turn of events.Drawing on years of work with thousands of children, Judge Sullivan presents a plan for breaking the vicious cycle of child abuse and crime that causes such tragedies. Through eye-opening stories from both her own courtroom and the system at large, Judge Irene reveals what works for young people in jeopardy. The results are surprisingly optimistic: few would have guessed that the most successful programs are also among the most cost-effective and practical. Raised by the Courts will be a source of hope and clarity for those who care about ending the cycle of violent crime among the youngest and most vulnerable members of society.

Table of Contents

Forword	p. ix
Opening Statement	p. xiii
Awakening
The Night Swimmers	p. 3
Umatilla	p. 11
Crossover Killer	p. 19
Despair
No Peace at Home: Violence and Juvenile Court	p. 31
Amateur Psychologists: Juvenile Judges and Mental Health Issues	p. 43
The Teen Brain: They're Still Just Kids	p. 51
Connect the Dots: Gangs and Guns in the Juvenile Court	p. 59
Who Is My Father Today? Fatherless Children in Juvenile Court	p. 65
Crosover Kids: Lost in Both Systems	p. 71
Recreational, Reactive, and Really Bad Crimes: Uncovering the Role of Sex and Drugs in Juvenile Court	p. 77
The Deuces: Disproportionate Minority Contact and Juvenile Court	p. 83
Enlightenment
What Works in Juvenile Justice? A Dynamic Duo and Napoleon Show the Way	p. 89
Healthy Families: How Preventing Child Abuse Prevents Delinquency	p. 97
"Among the Worst Offenders": The Supreme Court Bans Life Without Parole for Many Young Offenders	p. 105
Curses and Compassion: Victims' Responses to Juvenile Crime	p. 115
Toughest Job in the Courthouse: Public Defenders in Juvenile Court	p. 123
Keeping Kids Out of Court: The Annie E. Casey Foundation and Wansley Walters in Miami	p. 135
Reclaiming Futures: Substance Abuse Intervention and Collaborations That Really Work	p. 145
Saving Kids While Saving Money: Washington State Proves You Can Do Both	p. 153
Girls Matter! The Importance of Gender-Specific Programs	p. 159
Repairing the Broken Whole: Family Therapy for Juvenile Offenders	p. 171
Crossover Kids: Fewer Silos, More Legal Representation	p. 183
The Limits of Zero Tolerance: What We Need to Do to Improve Good Intentions	p. 189
Truancy: Where Most Behavior Problems Begin	p. 199
Two Janes: Helping Children and Families in Need of Services	p. 205
Youth Courts: Turning Crisis into Opportunity With Positive Peer Pressure	p. 213
Public Safety: Why We Lock Up Kids, and What Are Our Alternatives?	p. 221
Solving the DMC Problem: A Case study in Florida	p. 235
Closing Argument: Members of the Jury	p. 245
Acknowledgment	p. 253
Programs That Work	p. 255
Online Resources	p. 257
Sources	p. 263
Index	p. 277
About The Author	p. 285
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