Baltimore Sun — After killings of 3 workers, Baltimore’s Safe Streets anti-violence program at a crossroads: ‘We have to continue to evolve’

Understanding what work is being done, anything that lets researchers “pull back the curtain,” is important, said Jeffrey Butts, director of the Research and Evaluation Center at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York. Continue reading Baltimore Sun — After killings of 3 workers, Baltimore’s Safe Streets anti-violence program at a crossroads: ‘We have to continue to evolve’

Vital City — Balancing Deterrence and Prevention: The Role of Research

Prevention is different than deterrence, and it uses other tools and resources. It lowers risks and builds assets. Risks are obstacles to safety that often metastasize across individuals and increase harm to entire communities, including substance abuse, antisocial peers, unemployment, and family violence. Continue reading Vital City — Balancing Deterrence and Prevention: The Role of Research

Time Magazine — A New Study Casts Doubt on One of the Country’s Most Popular Violence Prevention Approaches

A number of cities have implemented or adapted Cure Violence’s strategies to address gun violence in their communities. But to what end? … A 2020 report by John Jay College on alternatives to policing notes that the work of outreach workers and violence interrupters is “promising but mixed.” Continue reading Time Magazine — A New Study Casts Doubt on One of the Country’s Most Popular Violence Prevention Approaches

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.” Continue reading Toledo Blade — Violence Interrupters: How to Measure Success in Toledo and Beyond

Conceptualization, Implementation, and Management of the New York City Mayor’s Action Plan for Neighborhood Safety

New York City’s MAP strategy marshaled the talents and energies of residents to improve public safety and build healthy communities working in collaboration with local government and nonprofit partners. The initiative implemented MAP in more than a dozen public housing developments spread across New York City. John Jay College’s Research and Evaluation Center worked with NORC at the University of Chicago to assess the design and implementation of MAP by observing operations, interviewing local officials and staff, and surveying residents. Continue reading Conceptualization, Implementation, and Management of the New York City Mayor’s Action Plan for Neighborhood Safety

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. Continue reading Kansas City Star — What is Cure Violence and How Effective has it Been at Reducing Gun Violence?