Juvenile crime is on the rise, not only in the United States but, alas, also in the United Kingdom. Drugs and gangs are everywhere in the US and increasing here. Many of us won't walk outside our homes. The answer to this problem has proved elusive. Would the re-introduction of the death penalty in the UK have any effect? Long-time capital punishment opponent Shirley Dicks discusses how one senseless act can forever alter the lives of both victim and perpetrator as well the family of each. Dicks also addresses the causes of juvenile crime, the types of crimes committed, and offers some suggestions to keep young people from following the criminal path.
Dicks outlines the problems facing today's youth and suggests an overhaul of the juvenile justice system in America. She advocates rehabilitation programmes, federal aid to Americans first, child care assistance for single mothers, and much more. Young Blood also includes the gripping insights of juveniles on death row, the stories of young adults who have spent their lives in institutions, an assessment of how the mentally retarded are handled within the justice system, the horrors faced by parents, youth at risk, and related concerns.
Shirley Dicks has waged a long campaign against the death penalty. She is the author of Congregation of the Condemned: Voices Against the Death Penalty.
295 pages Publication date 30th May, 1996
ISBN 0-87975-953-4
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