This book addresses the social experiences of juvenile offenders in the correctional machinery and the career effects these experiences have on offenders. It follows offenders from apprehension through detention, court appearance, probation and institutionalization, showing how the organizations operate, the role definitions of the people who man them, and the views of the correctional organizations held by members of the public. It is a valuable supplement to courses in deviance, criminology, social problems and organizational analysis.

The book begins with the delinquent...

What is the social condition of youth in modern society? This is the question taken up by this passionate and substantive book. The author argues that youth are at a crisis state. The crisis has been brought about by the general state of social crisis; violence, questions of political legitimacy, educational decline; as well as the decline of compassion as a core principle of culture. The author draws on a variety of trends and scholarly research to examine the problems of growing up in a high risk society and offers pathways to spiritual renewal and cultural renewal, esential for...

The first C. Wright Mills Award-winning book, Delinquency and Drift has become a recognized classic in the fields of criminology and social problems. In it, Matza argues persuasively that delinquent thought and delinquent action are distorted reflections of the ideas and practices that pervade contemporary juvenile law and its administration. His ideas are as persuasive today as when they were first published twenty-five years ago.

By example and illustration, Matza argues that the delinquent subculture is based on many of the same standards as the conventional social order,...