Canada’s current, punishment-oriented system for dealing with young offenders does not work; it simply ensures that we jail more youth than any other country, including the United States. Green and Healy argue that a new approach is needed and offer ample local and global evidence to make the case for a shift to restorative justice. Tough on Kids details the development and current state of Canadian law, as well as different approaches that have been used in dealing with youth crime. With statistics on young people and the law as well as stories of young clients, Green and Healy illustrate the very real human costs of doing nothing.

Ross Green practiced law as a defence lawyer for many years in several of the communities described in this book, and has advocated for the kind of sentencing alternatives he describes. In 2004, he was appointed a judge of the Provincial Court of Saskatchewan. He holds a degree in commerce, a Bachelor of Laws degree, and a Master of Laws degree. He is also co-author of Tough on Kids: Rethinking Approaches to Youth Justice (Saskatoon: Purich Publishing, 2003). This latter book was awarded the Saskatchewan Book Awards prize for scholarly writing.

Ross Gordon Green's profile page

Kearney Healy holds a B.A. and LL.B, and has dealt extensively with young offenders as a legal aid lawyer in Saskatoon, Saksatchewan. He continues to advocate on behalf of youth as well as other social justice issues. Tough on Kids was awarded the Saskatchewan Book Awards prize for scholarly writing.

Kearney Healy's profile page

• Short-listed, Publishing Award, Saskatchewan Book Awards
• Short-listed, Non-Fiction Award, Saskatchewan Book Awards
• Winner, Scholarly Writing Award, Saskatchewan Book Award

Relatively free of jargon, this is an impassioned plea for us to do something different in youth justice.

Winnipeg Free Press