Jeffrey Butts said the fact that America is awash with guns — there are an estimated 400 million of them in the country, more than the population — makes it prone to deadly violence.
Category: Press Coverage
Toledo Blade — Violence Interrupters: How to Measure Success in Toledo and Beyond
“They should not operate in hostility to law enforcement…but they need to operate almost autonomously,” said Jeffrey Butts, director of the Research and Evaluation Center of the John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York City. “If the neighborhood starts to think that these programs are in cahoots with law enforcement, the young people in the neighborhood will stop talking to the workers.”
NPR — Michigan School Shooter is 1 of Thousands of U.S. Juveniles Charged as Adults in 2021
Jeffrey Butts at John Jay College of Criminal Justice says whether or not to charge a juvenile as an adult depends on what society is trying to accomplish.
Louisville Courier Journal — Louisville is Spending Millions to Stop Gun Violence Before it Starts. Here’s How it Works.
“The movement needs support with evidence and research, not just clever arguments,” Butts said.
Kansas City Star — What is Cure Violence and How Effective has it Been at Reducing Gun Violence?
Officials in Kansas City ask for evidence of effectiveness for the Cure Violence approach. A 2017 review of two sites in New York City by John Jay College of Criminal Justice at The City University of New York found that gun violence rates decreased in the two catchment areas reviewed — gun injuries dropping about 50% in one neighborhood after the Cure Violence program was implemented.
ABC News — Lessons from a ‘Violence Interrupter’ as Shootings Continue to Ravage Chicago
“[Violence interrupters] are from the same streets, grew up in the same areas and had the same experiences as young people and so they just have more access and access means influence,” said Jeffrey Butts, director of the Research and Evaluation Center at John Jay College of Criminal Justice. “The possibility of influencing someone’s behavior and attitude is stronger if you come at them as an equal.”