Girls in Justice

Up to 73 percent of juvenile justice cases involve girls with histories of physical and sexual violence. Eighty percent of all girls in detention in 2011 were in for low-level offenses. Black girls make up eight percent of the population of youth aged 10–17 yet constitute 39 percent of girls detained. Alex Award-winner Ross brings the facts to stark life through superb photographs, matter-of-fact and gut-wrenching stories of specific girls, and six provocative essays by adults (such as Marian Wright Edelman) questioning the system. It's a perfect book for teens; the work is deceptively simple and powerful, visually telling a story from multiple perspectives that support and build upon one another. The work shows directly and indirectly the intense discrimination and trauma that incarcerated girls experience. Amid the desolation in the photographs, readers will spot a few random pops of color: books! Girls in Justice provides insight into the reality of these girls' lives and is on the forefront of one of the most pressing social justice issues of our time.