Law Commons^™

Making Detention Reform Work For Girls: A Guide To Juvenile Detention Reform, Francine Sherman, Richard Mendel, Angela Irvine

Francine T. Sherman

Throughout the nation, court-involved girls frequently pose minimal risk to public safety but suffer with significant social service needs. Data on detention utilization show that girls are being disproportionately detained for misdemeanors, status offenses and technical violations of probation and parole. In short, many girls enter detention for the wrong reasons and many remain in detention for extended periods harmful to them and contrary to best practice.

This practice guide responds to a call from both mature and new sites from within the Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative (JDAI) network, which continue to find that effectively serving and supervising girls is …

The System Response To The Commercial Sexual Exploitation Of Girls, Francine Sherman, Lisa Grace

Francine T. Sherman

This chapter, which is written from the perspectives of law, public health, and social work, examines the system’s response to the commercial sexual exploitation of children (CSEC), focusing on girls. It describes the issue and then examine the range of international, federal, state, and local laws and policies, aimed at aiding and enhancing prosecution of perpetrators of CSEC (i.e., pimps, johns), and at providing protection and services to its victims. The chapter argues that, as state and local authorities implement practice and policy for this population, the two central goals—law enforcement and victim protection—may conflict, creating practices that serve neither …

Children's Rights And Relationships: A Legal Framework, Francine Sherman, Hon. Jay Blitzman

Francine T. Sherman

This chapter provides an overview of United States children’s law, framed both in terms of autonomy-based and needs-based rights, and by the legal dynamic among child, parent, and state. The chapter highlights the law of juvenile justice and child welfare systems, and also examines law relevant to education and health care, two central institutions for children. The chapter proceeds ecologically, acknowledging that children’s lives, including their legal lives, are related to their families, communities, and the social institutions surrounding them. As such the chapter provides a readable introduction to children’s relationship with the law for both lawyers and non-lawyers.

The Role Of Gender In Youth Systems: Grace's Story, Francine Sherman, Jessica Greenstone

Francine T. Sherman

This chapter —written from a legal and developmental perspective —describes the experiences of ‘‘Grace,’’ a teenage girl involved with multiple public systems, including juvenile justice. Through detailed analysis of primary interview data with Grace and others responsible for her care and supervision, and of court case material. The chapter sheds light on how Grace’s actions were interpreted and the responses they evoked. The case study includes recommendations for implementing gender-responsive principles across these systems.

Juvenile Justice: Advancing Research, Policy, And Practice, Francine Sherman, Francine Jacobs

Francine T. Sherman

This accessible, edited volume reflects the multiplisciplinary, multisectoral nature of juvenile justice, including chapters by leaders in the fields of child development, law, public health, education, advocacy, and public administration. The voices of scholars, parents, administrators, and youth are woven into its fabric; it offers several complementary theoretical lenses through which to understand the behavior of youth involved with the juvenile justice system, and provides a range of promising and proven practical approaches to juvenile justice policy, programming, and evaluation.

The book is organized ecologically into four sections: Framing the Issues, Understanding Individual Youth, Understanding Youth in Context, and Working …

Taking On The Challenge: Phase I Of The Hyams Foundation Girls' Initiative, Francine Sherman

Francine T. Sherman

This report describes Phase I of The Hyams Foundation’s funding initiative for eight programs providing direct services to girls in Boston and Chelsea, Massachusetts. Although the programs varied in their sophistication and experience with gender-responsive approaches, in each case the programs served girls who were court involved and worked with the state social services or juvenile justice systems. The monograph describes the work of the initiative’s Learning Community, participation in which was a requirement of funding, and findings from the Learning Community’s participatory action research. Notably, the report describes nine lessons learned from the funding initiative, which are useful for …

Girls In The Juvenile Justice System: Perspectives On Services And Conditions Of Confinement, Francine Sherman

Francine T. Sherman

This report details the results of original survey and interview research on perceptions of Judges, Attorneys and girls in the juvenile justice system on conditions of confinement for girls in detention and post-disposition confinement.

Contributor, Francine Sherman

Francine T. Sherman

No abstract provided.