Juvenile Justice System, The

About our authors Alida V. Merlo is Professor of Criminology and Criminal Justice at Indiana University of Pennsylvania in Indiana, Pennsylvania. Previously, Dr. Merlo taught at Westfield State University in Westfield, Massachusetts. She earned her PhD from Fordham University, MS from Northeastern University, and BA from Youngstown State University.

Dr. Merlo has conducted research and published in the areas of juvenile justice, criminal justice policy, and women and the law. She is the coauthor with Peter J. Benekos of Reaffirming Juvenile Justice: From Gault to Montgomery (Routledge/Taylor & Francis Group) and Crime Control, Politics & Policy, 2nd Edition (LexisNexis/Anderson) and coeditor (with Peter J. Benekos) of Controversies in Juvenile Justice and Delinquency, 2nd Edition (LexisNexis/Anderson). She also coedited (with Joycelyn M. Pollock) Women, Law & Social Control, 2nd Edition (Allyn & Bacon). She is the past President of the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences.

Peter J. Benekos is Professor Emeritus of Criminology and Criminal Justice and Sociology at Mercyhurst University in Erie, Pennsylvania. Dr. Benekos was a visiting professor at Roger Williams University in Rhode Island. He earned his PhD from the University of Akron, his MA from the University of Cincinnati, and his BS from Clarion University.

Dr. Benekos has conducted research and published in the areas of juvenile justice, corrections and public policy. He is the coauthor (with Alida V. Merlo) of Reaffirming Juvenile Justice: From Gault to Montgomery (Routledge/Taylor & Francis Group) and Crime Control, Politics & Policy, 2nd Edition (LexisNexis/Anderson). He is also coeditor (with Alida V. Merlo) of Controversies in Juvenile Justice and Delinquency, 2nd Edition (LexisNexis/Anderson).