“He’s not a firebrand, radical reformer, but he’s a person who understands the functions of detention and knows when he sees something that’s well-run and when he sees a center that’s not,” said Jeffrey Butts, a research fellow at the University of Chicago’s Chapin Hall Center for Children. Continue reading Chicago Tribune – Extra! Cook County Hires a Pro

“We don’t seem capable of recognizing that our traditional approach to crime and justice often fails with adolescents,” said Jeffrey A. Butts, a research fellow at the University of Chicago’s Chapin Hall Center for Children. “Prison by itself doesn’t do a lot to change behavior or improve someone’s chances of success.” Continue reading USA Today – Youngest Convicted Murderer May Return to Prison

“You don’t always need razor wire and bars,” said Jeffrey Butts, a national juvenile detention expert and research fellow at the Chapin Hall Center for Children at the University of Chicago. “If you have a well-run program that provides good staff security, the use of physical restraints shrinks to almost nothing.” Continue reading Chicago Tribune – Cleansing a Warehouse for Kids

“The Missouri model deals with young people who have demonstrated their willingness to break the law by exposing them to positive, caring relationships. It prepares them for the world,” says Jeffrey Butts, a juvenile-justice researcher at the University of Chicago. “Clearly all [juvenile-corrections] systems should be structured this way.” Continue reading American Prospect – A Culture of Caring