Pulitzer Prize Winner Edward Humes, Essay Example

Pulitzer prize winner Edward Humes provides an in depth and thought provoking examination  of a year inside a Los Angeles Juvenile court. He examines the entire cast of characters within the framework of the juvenile court system.  The book has become noteworthy for the account of the juveniles passing through the court system and the trust that they bestowed upon the author. Mark Horowitz of the Los Angeles Times described this as ” Journalism at its best ” . The court has an overwhelming number of defendants passing through it at any given time ( estimated at around 80,000). Humes carefully follows the cases of 7 young offenders as they pass through the system.

Summary

The author wanted to examine the structure and system of the juvenile courts. In particular why these were perceived to be failing, with juvenile offenses on the increase.  The author wanted to demystify the workings of the inner sanctum of the justice system by examining the treatment of the juveniles passing through the system. The book highlighted the following significant points:

• Children going through the system are often recurring offenders. They often start off with lesser crime but quickly escalate into more serious offences;
• There is a sort of clandestine secrecy operating over the court system. There is no real transparency of the systems, failures and the reforms required to make improvements;
• Existing reforms tend to focus on juvenile murderers and deal increasingly with more younger aged children;
• Certain states like Texas and Mississippi still permit the execution of juvenile offenders;
• It was determined that in Los Angeles county approximately one third of all foster case are stopped because the children end up in the criminal court;
• There is a need to re-examine how the legal and social welfare professions might better support the system.

Evaluation and Review

Edward Humes is a Pulitzer prize winning author with several other critically claimed books to his credit.  Amongst these being a bestseller “Mississippi Mud” and more recently “Monkey Girl”.  Edward lives in California and is a journalist for Los Angeles Magazine.

The Author spent an entire year in the juvenile court system. He examined the processes, interviewed all of the key people involved and gained the openness and trust of the kids being processed through the system.  His work was based upon a significant number of case studies. He presents both the evidence and conclusions in a very thought provoking and convincing manner.  The compelling arguments ultimately lead you to the following conclusions:

• The inadequacy of the juvenile courts dealing with the volume of offenders being processed through them;
• The terrible types of crimes being committed by these young offenders;
• The juvenile system is considered the lowest rung on the legal stepladder;
• Little time is spent with the minor offenders, instead of rehabilitating them they are allowed to offend several more times ultimately leading to serious crimes;
• We are not spending enough money on juvenile reform
• There is hope for the future. Many are trying to make the process work but it requires a new strategy and approach to reform.

The author developed a very persuasive and logical argument. He covered all of the salient points in great deal. The failures in the administrative systems were clearly outlined but the most important point is the human dilemma posed by the novel.  The title is very poignant “No matter how loud I shout” illustrating the lack of real care for the kids that go through the system and are allowed to continuously re-offend.  The counter arguments must really come from the States of Texas and Mississippi where juveniles may still face the death penalty for capital crimes. These states free themselves of the burden of potential re-offenders by imposing stiffer penalties up to and including execution. This becomes more of a “clearing house” approach as opposed to understanding the social and psychological conditions that cause or are a catalyst for the criminal behaviour. The book clearly outlines that most of the problems relate to the kids upbringing, circumstances and neglect of a formal education. If the issues were dealt with at source, at an early age, the kids are less likely to transgress into more serious crimes. Humes analysis in this regard is both powerful and persuasive, you cannot fail to be moved by the sincerity and sense of frustration of it all.  The lack of manpower in the judicial system itself and the ultimate fate awaiting the “no hope” kids moving through the system.

Conclusion

One of the attractive features of Humes novel is the balance of his analysis. He has lead you to know single point of conclusion but explained the problem from the many different angles. Although the focus is primarily based upon one district i.e. Los Angeles, nevertheless you are left with a sense of despair considering how this in depth analysis might relate to other troubled Cities throughout the world.  Most of us would relate to the human dilemma’s portrayed in the novel. The plight of the Children that are forced into a life of crime because of the appalling circumstances in which they live or are brought up in.  The lack of child care and social welfare to both assist them and negate future bad behaviour.  Even the plight of the judicial staff and their attempts to try and process overwhelming numbers with both limited resources and funds. The combination being a human failure of significant proportions.

Humes’s journalistic skills and winner of the Pulitzer prize are clearly demonstrated in this novel. The book exudes a passion of understanding, concern and depth of research that is both compelling and powerful in the arguments presented.  His ability to relate to people is amply demonstrated in the frank discussions and openness of the children he interviewed. Humes does however leave you with a feeling of hope!  It’s not too late to address these issues and make the necessary changes and adjustments to address these problems.  In contrast the book leaves you with an apocalyptic vision of future society in our major Cities with ever increasing youth problems and uncontrolled criminal behaviour.