The FBI says violent crime rates are rising. The increase is occurring as the gap between rich and poor is the widest its been since World War II. Steve Henn looked into whether expanding economic inequality could be causing crime to increase. …  But Criminologists say in some ways, this is all kind of predictable.  Jeffrey Butts:  “The transition zones between wealth and poverty are where the opportunities for crime are greatest.” Continue reading American Public Media – Crime and the Gap Between Rich and Poor

[T]here’s been only a small increase in girls who commit an assault that involves a weapon or causes a serious injury. Jeffrey Butts of the Urban Institute says these facts challenge the idea that a change in girls’ behavior is the major reason for the rise in arrests and detentions. “Behavior changes contribute somewhat to it, but very slightly,” Butts says. “The largest reason for the change is that the juvenile justice system itself is becoming less paternalistic — meaning that police officers, prosecutors, judges are less likely to treat someone differently because she’s female than they may have 20 to 30 years ago.” Continue reading NPR – Have Girls Really Grown More Violent?

Noah [Adams] talks with Jeffrey Butts, a juvenile crime specialist at the Urban Institute about ways to combat the cycles of crime and violence found in places like the public housing neighborhoods in Baltimore. Butts says one approach is to focus on place rather than person. He also describes alternative methods of dealing with juvenile offenders, including restorative justice programs. Finally, he and Noah talk about the role that concerned citizens — like Ms. Sylvia Holland of Baltimore — play in keeping their communities safe. Continue reading NPR – Neighborhood Crime