Book excerpt: "Despite being labeled as adults, the approximately 200,000 youth under the age of 18 who are now prosecuted as adults each year in criminal court are still adolescents, and the contradiction of their legal labeling creates numerous problems and challenges. In Courting Kids, Carla J. Barrett takes us behind the scenes of a unique judicial experiment called the Manhattan Youth Part, a specialized criminal court set aside for youth prosecuted as adults in New York City. Focusing on the lives of those coming through and working in the courtroom, Barrett's study reflects the costs, challenges, and consequences the 'tough on crime' age has had, especially for young men of color. Through observation, interviews, and the construction of 'court narratives' that trace several kids through the progression of their cases, Barrett shows how members of the court worked to develop a humanizing model of justice cognizant of the often difficult realities of adolescent lives. Skillfully engaging with some of the most critical issues facing our justice system today, from routine judicial practices to the appropriate legal responses to serious adolescent transgression, Courting Kids is a compelling study of the law in action"--Unedited summary for book cover