By McKensi Spears, Saundra D. Trujillo, and Mary L. Fahrenbruck, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, New Mexico
The third WOW Currents post in June features McKensi Spears’ reaction to Juvie by Steve Watkins. McKensi, a criminal justice major at NMSU, briefly discusses Labeling Theory and then applies the theory to the novel. McKensi primarily addresses the changes in the behavior of Sadie, the main character, that seem to emerge as labels are placed upon her before and during her time in the juvenile justice system.
Saundra and Mary close out the post with their reflections about the novel and about Labeling Theory. In her reflection, Saundra cleverly connects the labels found in the novel to labels found in songs recorded by Eminem and Billie Eilish. Mary reflects on how Watkins’ personal experiences as a Court Appointed Special Advocate might have influenced the plot of the novel and the idea that discussions about Labeling Theory might facilitate readers’ deeper comprehension of the novel.
McKensi’s Reaction
Steve Watkins’ (2017) novel presents the story of a 17- year-old Sadie, who, caught in a drug deal gone wrong, takes the fall (willingly taking criminal charges and pleading guilty to those charges) for her older sister, Carla. This narrative provides a dramatic depiction of the experiences that Sadie endures in the face of adversity. Sadie, in an attempt to support her sister, testifies that her sister had nothing to do with the drug deal. Despite Sadie’s innocence, she is sentenced to six months in juvie because of her testimony. Juvie, where there is no hope of returning to the life she once had or imagined for her future.
Throughout Juvie (2017), Watkins’ uses Sadie’s story to illustrate key criminological theories and concepts used in empirical tests of the causes and consequences of delinquency. Even though she is innocent, Sadie is undoubtedly a victim of a juvenile justice system that labels her delinquent. Sadie, just as so many other youths like her, is labeled a juvenile delinquent after getting caught in the juvenile justice system net. Through an application of Labeling Theory, it is apparent that this system destines her to fail, and also causes her to act in ways she may not have, without the label of “deviant”. Restivo and Lanier’s (2013) work states that “official intervention with the criminal justice system leads to an increase in delinquent self-identity, decreased pro-social expectations, and an increase in association with delinquent peers, which then lead to an increased likelihood of engaging in subsequent delinquency.” Sadie, who prior to living in juvie was not one prone to physically fighting with peers, fulfills her label as a delinquent by fighting several times during her stay in juvie.
There are some important differences between today’s rehabilitative juvenile justice system and the system described in Watkins’ novel. The circumstances Sadie experiences by being sentenced and going to juvie are not the typical representation of what youth today experience in a juvenile detention center. In the novel, the juvenile detention center depicts the confined population as one comprised of young women of all races and ethnicities from disadvantaged backgrounds; however, in juvenile facilities today, much like in the adult criminal justice system, the incarcerated populations are overwhelmingly poor, black and brown residents. Other than Sadie having low socioeconomic status, she does not really fit the stereotype of someone who the media portrays as a typical criminal. Sadie is a young, white, female, someone who the media might portray as a virtuous citizen. Though the media often portrays adjudicated juveniles as violent and as those who have committed serious offenses, statistics show in 2020 the reality is that of the 52,000 youth who are in juvenile detention, 6,600 of them are in juvie for technical violations (i.e., probation violations, not following court orders, etc.) and 1,700 are in juvie for status offences (behaviors that are illegal due to the individuals’ age like possessing alcohol before age 21 or running away) (Prison Policy Initiative, 2020).
Young adult readers of Juvie (Watkins, 2017) should be challenged to consider the complexities of punishing young people by using residential detention and what collateral consequences might result from labeling as well as punishing youth like adults. Juvie can be used to encourage young people to question the purposes and effects of juvenile detention on the individual, their families, and their communities. Novels like Juvie highlight issues not often talked about elsewhere thus, it starts the much-needed conversations and inquiries concerning issues or problems within the criminal justice system. For example, Juvie introduces young people to the idea of unintended consequences that often result of ill-informed policy, stereotypes, and isolating individuals in ways that offer little opportunity for successful re-integration. Watkin’s novel offers the ability for young people to critically think about their own ideas of crime, punishment, how those ideas are shaped, and how their ideas can affect society more generally.
Juvie (Watkins, 2017) presents an influential and persuasive narrative that encourages further scholarly theoretical developments and research, and calls for implementation of evidence-based practices. Although fiction, Juvie opens the door to a world that many scholars are unable to access for qualitative research. A novel like Juvie can be used by scholars for theoretical development and to examine the accuracy of events or concepts within the story. For example, scholars and researchers work to determine why, how often, and how to prevent our young, vulnerable population from taking the blame for their older counterparts. Watkins’ novel begs readers to ask themselves: if our criminal justice system is so effective, then why did an innocent person go to jail? Furthermore, why does someone take criminal responsibility for the acts of another person? And, is our justice system really delivering the justice that we claim? Overall, novels such as Juvie create an atmosphere where individuals can critique and evaluate the methods within the system that need further research, development, and reform.
Saundra’s Reflection
Educators in primary and secondary education are likely all too familiar with the observations made in McKensi’s blog post. Throughout her reflection on Juvie (Watkins, 2017), McKensi challenges us to carefully think about labels placed on young people, the effect of those labels, and the power that social group influence can have on a person’s trajectory in life (see Bernberg et al., 2006). One need not search very long to find evidence that, historically, young people identify with the frustration of inaccurate and/or negative labels. For example, educators young enough to rap along with Eminem’s (2000) song “The Way I Am” may recall his declaration that: “I am whatever you say I am.” Eminem’s song calls attention to his own reaction to a label and his choice to fulfill the label’s associated expectations. Two decades later, although the beats and styles of music that students enjoy are slightly different, a message similar to Eminem’s can be heard in Billie Eilish’s (2019) song “Bad Guy” when she proudly points out that she is the one living up to the “bad guy” label: “I’m that bad type, make your momma sad type, make your girlfriend mad type, might seduce your dad type, I’m the bad guy, Duh”.
McKensi’s blog post applies Watkin’s novel to the causes and consequences of crime in a way particularly relevant for today’s educators. As many societies move toward demanding environments that are more ethnoracially, sex, and gender inclusive/equitable, it is important for us to consider for whom, and why, a delinquent or criminal label can fuel crime, exclusion and contribute to both systemic racism and intolerance. In addition, McKensi uses Sadie’s experiences to illustrate that for some, when a negative label is so sticky that it becomes a stigma, there seems little to lose by fulfilling the social expectations attached to the label.
Although the retributive nature of juvenile justice in Juvie (Watkins, 2017) does more closely mirror the adult jail and adult experience with criminal labeling, the novel addresses how labeling, being labeled, and making choices influenced by vicarious punishment [a concept in criminology used to describe when individuals witness (vicarious) others committing various types of crime and not getting caught by police or punished by the judicial system (see Sitren, 2007 for discussion)] can forever change the direction of our lives.
Mary’s Reflection
When I researched Steve Watkins, I learned that he was a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) volunteer for children and teens in Fredericksburg, Virginia where he resides with his family. One can surmise that Watkins’ experiences as a CASA volunteer influenced the plot of Juvie. Watkins’ experiences piqued my interest and I began to wonder what type of training CASA volunteers receive as advocates. Given the findings from Labeling Theory research, it seems imperative that CASA volunteer should learn about Labeling Theory and the effects of labels on the young people for whom they advocate.
With great interest, I read McKensi’s challenge to readers of this novel to “consider the complexities of punishing young people by using residential detention and what collateral consequences might result for labeling as well as punishing youth like adults.” I agree with McKensi that considering these complexities would be an effective conversation starter about criminal justice systems in the U.S. and around the world.
Have you read Juvie by Steve Watkins with a group of adolescents? If yes, we would like to hear from you about the students’ tensions and connections to the key events in the story, especially those tensions and connections that relate to the criminology aspects of the novel. If you haven’t read Juvie with a group of adolescents, we invite you to do so. Consider weaving Labeling Theory into the group’s discussions. Then let us know about your experiences by posting in the Leave a Reply box below. We would love to hear from you about your experiences!
Young Adult Literature Cited
Watkins, S. (2017). Juvie. Candlewick.
References
Bernburg, J. G., Krohn, M. D., & Rivera, C. J. (2006). Official labeling, criminal embeddedness, and subsequent delinquency: A longitudinal test of labeling theory. Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency, 43(1), 67-88.
Eilish, B. (2019). Bad Guy [Song]. On When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? Darkroom and Interscope Records.
Eminem (2000). The Way I Am [Song]. On The Marshall Mathers LP. Aftermath Entertainment/Interscope Records.
Prison Policy Initiative. (2020, March 24). Mass incarceration: The whole pie 2020 [Press release]. https://www.prisonpolicy.org/factsheets/pie2020_allimages.pdf
Restivo, E., & Lanier, M. M. (2013). Measuring the contextual effects and mitigating factors of Labeling Theory. Justice Quarterly 116-141. doi:10.1080/07418825.2012.756115
Sitren, A. H., & Applegate, B. K. (2007). Testing the deterrent effects of personal and vicarious experience with punishment and punishment avoidance. Deviant Behavior, 28(1), 29-55.
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- Themes: Juvie, Mary Fahrenbruck, McKensi Spears, Saundra D. Trujillo, Steve Watkins
- Descriptors: Books & Resources, WOW Currents