The falling rate of violent crime in the United States is not likely to reduce the need for effective policies and programs to address youth gun violence. The rate of firearm deaths among American youth is still one of the highest in the world. In the coming years, all levels of government, the private sector, and communities will require sound information and practical guidance as they try to reduce gun violence among young people.  Continue reading Youth, Guns, and the Juvenile Justice System

Juvenile justice professionals who must respond to questions about correctional space needs may be tempted to answer with simple statistical predictions based on recent trends in juvenile arrests and court commitments or even recent changes in detention and corrections populations. Simple answers are appreciated because they allow policymakers to proceed with budgeting and construction plans. Repeated experience with estimating future space needs, however, has taught policymakers and practitioners alike that there are no simple answers or, more accurately, that there are no simple and reliable answers. Statistical prediction models are only as good as the data elements that go into them and the assumptions on which they are built. Continue reading Anticipating Space Needs in Juvenile Detention and Correctional Facilities

As part of the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention’s (OJJDP’s) Evaluation of Teen Courts Project, the Urban Institute conducted a national survey of teen courts and youth courts. With assistance from the National Youth Court Center (NYCC), which is housed at the American Probation and Parole Association and supported by funds from OJJDP, researchers mailed questionnaires to nearly 500 programs. Continue reading Teen Courts: A Focus on Research