Tag: justice

Monographs & Reports, toptag

Recidivism: Use with Caution

A Deceptively Simple Measure in a Complex and Contentious System by Sumita (Mira) Das and Jeffrey A. Butts John Jay College Research and Evaluation Center June 2026 The foundations of recidivism as an outcome measure presume that interventions by the criminal justice system reduce future criminality. As interventions become more severe, reaching a pinnacle with incarceration, the effects on criminality should increase. Yet, criminological research … Continue reading Recidivism: Use with Caution

Unknown's avatarJeffreyButts
Briefs

Minor Role IV: Violent Crime More of an Adult Problem Today

Arrests for serious and violent crimes generally declined nationwide since the 1990s, and rates dropped sharply when the social and economic disruptions of the COVID-19 pandemic took hold in 2020. Arrests then surged in 2021 and 2022 before beginning to fall once again in 2023 and 2024. All age groups display these fluctuations to some degree, but youth under age 18 actually lead the crime decline. Continue reading Minor Role IV: Violent Crime More of an Adult Problem Today

Unknown's avatarJeffreyButts
2010-Current John Jay, Monographs & Reports

Investing in Maryland Safety

Maryland takes a comprehensive approach to youth justice. In 2023, Governor Moore recruited Vincent Schiraldi to be Secretary of the Maryland Department of Juvenile Services (DJS). Schiraldi is one of the nation’s foremost public safety experts and agency leaders. He was familiar with the numerous policy tensions involved in youth justice. He knew elected officials and the general public look instinctively to law enforcement and punishment in response to youth crime concerns. However, he also knew that punishment-only approaches inevitably fail to protect the public. Effective crime prevention must work on multiple fronts simultaneously and must do so without causing undue harm. Continue reading Investing in Maryland Safety

Unknown's avatarJeffreyButts