UVA-led report calls for less incarceration of juveniles

by Samantha Koon, November 20, 2012

The juvenile justice system is putting too many minors behind bars, according to a new federally commissioned report led by a University of Virginia law professor. Research on adolescent development indicates that juvenile offenders are less likely to commit new crimes if sentenced to restitution or community service instead of jail time, professor Richard J. Bonnie said.
… “If there is solid research on something, we should make sure we use it as much as possible,” said Jeffrey Butts, another committee member. Butts serves as the director of the Research & Evaluation Center at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice at the City University of New York.

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