Tag: evaluation

Books and Chapters

Varieties of Juvenile Court: Nonspecialized Courts, Teen Courts, Drug Courts, and Mental Health Courts

This chapter addresses the growing use of specialized, problem-solving courts for delinquent juveniles. After introducing the specialized nature of the juvenile court itself, we describe three of the most popular forms of specialized courts for youths (teen courts, juvenile drug court, and juvenile/family mental health courts), and we examine several key policy and practice issues related to their operation. Continue reading Varieties of Juvenile Court: Nonspecialized Courts, Teen Courts, Drug Courts, and Mental Health Courts

Unknown's avatarJeffreyButts
Books and Chapters

Better Research for Better Policies

In setting priorities for funding and support, intervention programs demonstrated to be effective and efficient are preferred over programs that are well intentioned but untested by rigorous evaluation. An evidence-based approach is undeniably better than an approach based on faith or anecdotes, but the findings of existing evaluations are not sufficient by themselves as a basis for effective policy-making. Translating research into practice requires more than a review of existing studies. It requires knowledge of the research process and its limitations. Continue reading Better Research for Better Policies

Unknown's avatarJeffreyButts
Monographs & Reports

Process Evaluation of the Chicago Juvenile Intervention and Support Center

Researchers investigated the operations of a pre-court diversion program that provides services and supports to “station adjusted” (i.e., informally handled) youthful offenders after they have come into contact with the Chicago Police Department but before they have been formally arrested and referred to the Cook County Juvenile Probation Department. The purpose of the study was to determine the suitability of the program for evaluation and to work with staff to enact any procedural modifications that may be needed to facilitate future evaluation activities. Continue reading Process Evaluation of the Chicago Juvenile Intervention and Support Center

Unknown's avatarJeffreyButts
Regional Print

Denver Post–$2.2 Million Federal Grant to Help Denver Combat Gang Violence

A research team led by sociologist Jeffrey Butts, executive director of the research and evaluation center at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York, will monitor the work in Denver and in four other communities that recently received funding from the U.S. Department of Justice. Butts said the results could help craft strategies in hard-hit cities like Detroit, where crime stubbornly refuses to ease. “The whole idea is to find a way to tackle what we call a hardened base of crime,” he said.

Continue reading Denver Post–$2.2 Million Federal Grant to Help Denver Combat Gang Violence

Unknown's avatarJeffreyButts