“If a politician tells someone with basic math skills to go through advocacy materials and extrapolate from those numbers to make an argument, you can do that,” [Jeffrey] Butts said. “Of course, you end up saying things that are ridiculous.” Continue reading Missouri AG claims crime will go up if KC tightens gun laws. Experts debunk his logic.
“It’s absurd to suggest that a change in New York bail practices somehow led to the shooting surge we’ve seen in cities across the country, not only New York City,” said Jeffrey Butts, research professor at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice. “I doubt the officials posing this explanation even believe it. It’s just an opportunity to score political points against a law they would oppose whether it was effective or not.” Continue reading Newsday — Murder, Auto Theft Increased Statewide as Pandemic Played a Role
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 New York Times — 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
ABC7 New York — New York to Legalize, Regulate Marijuana Continue reading ABC7 New York — New York to Legalize, Regulate Marijuana
“In general, courts and legislatures do tend to leave a little wiggle room for judicial interpretation, and of course prosecutors always hate that,” said Jeffrey Butts, head of the Research Evaluation Center at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice. “Anytime you’re dealing with someone who is young you need to allow for the possibility that, even at 22, not everyone is a fully functional adult and sometimes they make rash decisions.” Continue reading New York Post — Teen Busted Nine Times Could Get Sweetheart Deal — For Graduating High School
