Southern Mercy Empire and American Civilization in Juvenile Reform, 1890-1944

"Annette Louise Bickford inquires as to the degree of mercy that operated in early-twentieth century juvenile reform in the U.S. South ... The book offers excellent archival research about the realities of life in mid-century juvenile reformatories... Her theoretical framework grounded in a critique of liberal humanism is intriguing and should raise interest especially among graduate students. "

"Southern Mercy is a fascinating study of North Carolina’s juvenile reform institutions from their founding to the World War II era...Bickford joins a broader conversation about Enlightenment-based liberal humanism as fundamentally underwritten by systemic racism and sexism."