Category: Trade

Trade, Varied & Misc

JJIE—Interpreting the Juvenile Incarceration Drop

Even if we observe a number of instances when state reforms are followed by lower incarceration, we have to test whether the causal hypothesis holds up in the absence of reform? If we lined up all the states according to whether they had enacted meaningful reforms in their juvenile justice systems, would their incarceration trends line up in the same way, with high reform states showing more decline and low reform states showing less? Moreover, does the relationship persist over time and under varying circumstances? Continue reading JJIE—Interpreting the Juvenile Incarceration Drop

Unknown's avatarJeffreyButts
Trade, Varied & Misc

JJIE—Are We Too Quick to Claim Credit for Falling Juvenile Incarceration Rates?

As we celebrate falling incarceration numbers, those of us who work in juvenile justice should take a few moments to contemplate the true origins of the decline. We venture onto thin ice — empirically — if we conclude that incarceration is down because of changes in practice and policy. Continue reading JJIE—Are We Too Quick to Claim Credit for Falling Juvenile Incarceration Rates?

Unknown's avatarJeffreyButts
Trade

Youth Today—DC Reforms Offer Some Kids New Beginning

Reducing capacity at secure residential facilities frees up scarce resources for developing quality wrap-around services within the community, said Jeffrey Butts, director of the Research and Evaluation Center at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York. “If we increase the juvenile justice budget by 10 times, we would not have these (secure) buildings,” Butts said. “We would have a full-time teacher and a social worker and a cognitive therapist and a job placement coordinator. We would just create teams of support around that kid and try to recreate the good parenting that they’re lacking.” Continue reading Youth Today—DC Reforms Offer Some Kids New Beginning

Unknown's avatarJeffreyButts