Jeffrey A. Butts (2003). Juvenile Crime in Washington, DC. Washington, DC: The Urban Institute.

If the adult justice system is the answer to youth violence, does this mean that violent crime by adults has been going down? This policy brief examines this issue by reviewing the latest data on crime and violence in the city of Washington and the nation. This analysis suggests that the tone of juvenile justice debate in Washington, D.C. is overly narrow. Recent incidents of youth violence in the city do not yet represent a significant trend, and violence by adults is still far more pervasive and more deadly. This does not seem to be the time to focus the already strained resources of the justice system on inventing new ways to crack down on juvenile violence. The juvenile justice system should be learning more about what worked during the last decade and why. The city needs to build and maintain a solid foundation of programs that reduce all forms of juvenile crime.