December 2024:
Looking through old files… I just saw my notes for a presentation I did at a conference organized by the Center for the Study of Social Policy. In November 2019! — just before the crime surge that followed the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, as I watch some states trying to undo good youth justice policies, maybe I should say: Told Ya So!
Here are the notes I prepared on the plane heading to the CSSP meeting in New Orleans.

– – – – – – – – – – – – – –

CSSP Presentation: 2019

I am a full-time researcher at John Jay College in New York City.

I have worked in research for more than 30 years…
– mostly focused on youth justice

I offer that as a preface because I also want to say that I agree with everything the previous speaker said about how research is often used to sustain systems of oppression…

but… BUT!!…

I also care deeply about effective policies and programs

I want to see effective approaches become the standard for our youth justice system

When a young person makes a mistake, hurts someone, steals something valuable,
— and ends up involved in the justice system…

I don’t want public officials simply to debate the amount of punishment that might be warranted
— I want them to be creative
— to invest in that young person’s future 
— engage them and attach them to positive social assets that help them to learn the power of belonging and achievement in a prosocial context

To do that, we need to make sure that these strategies are embraced by the public and by elected officials

This takes High Quality research
— Solid evaluation research that can establish cause and effect

A lot of documents people might accept as research just say, “here’s what we did, people like it, and we can help you do it too”…
— that’s advocacy, not research

Research says 
– here’s what we did 
– here’s EXACTLY how we did it
– here’s the effect it had, and here’s our data connecting efforts to outcomes 
– this is how our data proves the effect 
– this is how some people might try to disprove it 
– and this is why their objections don’t hold up

If we don’t do good evaluation research, all we have are advocacy and stories

Good stories are useful, and they might be enough to support programs today
— That’s because crime has been generally falling for 20 years

Today, even the most stubborn, racist public officials are considering alternatives to the old ways of running justice systems … because crime and violence are falling

BUT … what if crime goes up again?

Will our good programs survive?

Stories cannot provide the precise sort of evidence you need to convince an elected official who is disinclined to support your program

Young people, their families, and their communities need us to help them
— to help stop the harm done by old-fashioned, punishment-first policies

Stories can do a lot. They can motivate. They can guide.

But, they can’t answer the questions posed by public officials who want to know:
– does this program work?
– is it cost-effective?
– and can we trust it?

Granted, punishment doesn’t have to meet such a high standard

Americans are willing to bankroll massive systems of punishment without evidence that they work
— because the existence and operations of punishment systems IS the product!
— America likes to punish people for punishment’s sake
— not because it accomplishes the goals of public safety and community building

I want to see research that protects and sustains good ideas into the future
— researchers and academics won’t/can’t do this on their own

Researchers & practitioners have to collaborate!