Abstract
Throughout transformations in U.S. juvenile justice, the control over girls’ bodies, sexual behavior, and identities has remained a constant focal point among decision-makers, with girls infrequently charged with serious law violations and commonly judged in terms of their moral welfare and virtue. This chapter shows the complexities of constructing, controlling, and responding to sexualities in court and correctional settings, as it illustrates girls’ interpretations and reactions to such attempts. Using in-depth interview data with 18 young women in conflict with the law, it examines girls’ experiences with the contemporary youth court and correctional system, and the policies and procedures used to enforce heteronormativity and restrain sexual agency and reproductive choices, both physically and cognitively. This chapter concludes with ideas for reform and change.
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Pasko, L. (2021). Straight and Narrow: Girls, Sexualities, and the Youth Justice System. In: Cox, A., Abrams, L.S. (eds) The Palgrave International Handbook of Youth Imprisonment. Palgrave Studies in Prisons and Penology. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-68759-5_13
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