The Myth of the Community Fix: Inequality and the Politics of Youth Punishment

In The Myth of the Community Fix, Sarah D. Cate explores the consequences of the widespread bipartisan embrace of the "community-based reform movement" in the juvenile justice system. Using a qualitative comparative case study focused on Texas, California, and Pennsylvania, she traces the historical development of juvenile justice policy and the limitations of the community-based reform movement. As Cate shows, the current community-based reform movement has led to a number of negative consequences, particularly for racial minorities and working-class youth. By contextualizing the community-based reform movement as part of the broader shift away from the centralized provision of public goods in the United States, this book demonstrates why those committed to addressing the problems of mass incarceration should be wary of the community fix.