For professor Jeffrey Butts of John Jay College of Criminal Justice, who has spent years studying juvenile justice, the video is clear evidence of the disparate treatment accorded young Black people by police, long a concern of activists and policymakers across New Jersey. Continue reading Bridgewater Mall Incident Reignites New Jersey Debate over Police and Racial Profiling
“If it’s just supposed to send a message to that kid and all other people that we take this seriously and we’re not going to stand for this behavior, therefore we’re punishing you, then it accomplishes that purpose.” But Butts says if the idea is to improve public safety or prevent future crime, decades of research show that is rarely the result. Continue reading NPR — Michigan School Shooter is 1 of Thousands of U.S. Juveniles Charged as Adults in 2021
There appears to be little, if any, organized opposition to raising the age of delinquency. But those who resist say doing so would hamstring the legal system, according to Jeffrey A. Butts, the director of the John Jay College of Criminal Justice’s Research and Evaluation Center. In rare cases involving a particularly dangerous child, he said, incarceration may prevent them from being a risk to others. Continue reading A 7-Year-Old Was Accused of Rape. Is Arresting Him the Answer?
Even during periods of relatively low violence, the incidence of violent behavior by and among young people is a prominent issue. Policymakers and communities always need effective methods of addressing violent acts by youth. Continue reading The Juvenile Justice Response to Violence
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