The Myth of the Community Fix

"The Myth of the Community Fix takes its reader deep into the guts of youth criminal reform that transfers justice to counties which in turn subcontract it to private foundations and operators. We discover how, in the name of ""reform,"" administrative devolution translates into increased punishment, reduced rights, continuing abuse, and public irresponsibility while reinforcing individualized conceptions of crime. Cate makes an original contribution to the sociology of the penal state that is sure to stimulate further research and public debate. * Lo""ic Wacquant, author of Punishing the Poor and The Invention of the ""Underclass"" * The Myth of the Community Fix is a crucial and timely intervention in the criminal justice reform conversation in the United States. Cate uniquely analyzes juvenile justice policy alongside trends in the US political economy. The case studies of popular bipartisan reforms in California, Pennsylvania, and Texas reveal that our long-term disinvestment in public goods leads local governments and community-based organizations to maintain or expand carceral capacity in the name of reform. This book challenges anyone concerned about mass incarceration to craft solutions that disrupt punitive political culture rather than reinforce the status quo. * Heather Schoenfeld, author of Building the Prison State * Sarah Cate's rich analysis shows how the community-control movement in juvenile justice reproduced the same problems of state-based institutions, but with even less political accountability. Situating juvenile justice reform within transformations in American political economy, such as privatization and welfare retrenchment, Cate reveals that devolution of juvenile institutions from state to county level control has been part of, not an alternative to, divestment from the public sector. This book is a devastating indictment of community-control models and a call to action for meaningful investment in public goods. * Lisa Miller, author of The Myth of Mob Rule *"