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Political Symbolism In Juvenile Justice: Reforming Florida's Juvenile Detention Criteria, C. Aaron Mcneece, Mark Ezell

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

A recent reform in Florida's juvenile detention criteria was over-turned during the subsequent legislative session. This paper describes both the initial reform and its reversal and suggests that symbolic political rewards may often be more important than the actual consequences of a policy. Recommendations are made for accomplishing policy reform in a traditional political culture.