Book Review: 'Judging Children as Children: A Proposal for a Juvenile Justice System,' by Michael Corriero
Barry Law Review, Vol. 9, p. 171, 2007
12 Pages Posted: 21 Feb 2008
Abstract
Michael Corriero's Judging Children as Children is a manifesto for significant reform in the juvenile justice system. Judge Corriero's ideas emanate from his long experience presiding over a special session of criminal court in New York City where children are tried as adults. In this book review - part of a symposium volume marking the 40th anniversary of Gault - Professor Pitchal praises Judge Corriero's concepts but doubts whether they can ever truly be implemented. The judge's ideas center on returning the cases of most arrested children to specialized juvenile courts. He clearly understands adolescents and has great sympathy and affection for them. Unfortunately, in his model, due process gets short shrift. Indeed, Judge Corriero barely mentions Gault and spends the bulk of the book describing the methods he uses to determine whether the children before him are "salvageable." One wonders how different this approach is to that used by Judge McGhee in the case of Gerry Gault.
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