Jeffrey A. Butts, a national crime expert and research fellow at the University of Chicago, says that crime is now on an upswing after 10 years of decline. Places such as New Orleans, Washington and Miami-Dade are experiencing crime waves, particularly in poorer neighborhoods.
“We are seeing the behavior of 13- and 14-year-olds who have been living in impoverished conditions for the past three to five years,” Butts said. “And their behavior has started to emerge,” Butts said. Continue reading Miami Herald – Another Teen Dies and a Mother asks Why

Said Jeffrey Butts, a national expert on juvenile crime and a research fellow at the University of Chicago: “It’s not that African Americans and Latinos are inherently more likely to be affected by violence. It’s a question of where one can afford to live, and whether your family is stuck living where violence tends to happen.” Continue reading Miami Herald – Dying Young

”Homicides tend to be a leading indicator of the crime rate, and the overarching explanation is that the crime decline we’ve seen over the last decade has stopped,” said Jeffrey Butts, a national expert on juvenile crime and a research fellow at the University of Chicago. “A factor could be the effects of a slowing economy, economic conditions. It doesn’t mean that the sky is falling — just that it is something that we should be looking at.” Continue reading Miami Herald – In Broward County, No Discernible Pattern to the Murder Rate

A 2002 study by the Urban Institute of Washington, D.C.. found that many offenders who go through teen court, instead of traditional court, are less likely to re-offend in the next six months. Continue reading Arizona Republic – Teen Court Applies Pressure on Peers