RCJJC

The Boston Globe

Mayor Menino acts now for safer summer

Crime prevention, putting youths to work are top priorities

By Andrew Ryan | GLOBE STAFF MAY 16, 2012

Mayor Thomas M. Menino is expected to outline a preemptive push to stanch summertime violence Wednesday, seeking to stop crime now with the hope of preventing retaliation in July and August.

The effort, which has been the subject of City Hall meetings for the past two months, will incorporate police, public health officials, the School Department, and youth workers. It will include police detectives walking beats in high-crime areas, an initiative to provide summer jobs for young adults over 19, and coordination with prison officials to visit inmates slated for release.
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Summertime violence is an age-old problem for urban areas after school ends. Thousands of young people face unstructured days and idle time that can often lead to trouble.

“It’s what any parent of a 14-year-old faces every summer: How are we going to fill up this time?’’ said Jeffrey Butts, director of the Research and Evaluation Center at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York. “It makes sense to have multiple approaches because there is no single answer.’’

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The Connecticut Mirror

Does race matter in the juvenile justice system?

May 4, 2012
by Jacqueline Rabe Thomas

When a child is referred to a Connecticut court, the state’s juvenile justice system is largely colorblind.

New state data from 2011 show that whether a youth is black, white or Latino, he has about a 50 percent chance of having his case dismissed. Similarly, about 30 percent of all youths — regardless of skin color or ethnicity — receive probation after they are arrested.

But skin color and ethnicity are powerful indicators of which children will be arrested in the first place. In fact, when students are arrested on school property, one of every two will be black or Hispanic.

. . .

Nationwide and in Connecticut, juvenile arrests have declined steadily over the last several years, but arrests for less serious incidents — including drug possession and minor assaults — have increased substantially, reports the City University of New York’s John Jay College of Criminal Justice.

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Read the full article in The Connecticut Mirror

Mental Health, Substance Abuse & Brain Development in Juvenile Offenders

Butts, Jeffrey A. (2012). Mental Health, Substance Abuse & Brain Development in Juvenile Offenders. Introductory remarks for a panel discussion at the Tow Foundation symposium: “Kids Behind Bars.” John Jay College of Criminal Justice, Center on Media, Crime and Justice. New York, NY. April 23, 2012.

Assessment of the YouthBuild Mentoring Initiative

Tomberg, Kathy (2012). Assessment of the YouthBuild Mentoring Initiative. Presentation to the YouthBuild USA National Mentoring Alliance Training. Orlando, Florida.

The Research and Evaluation Center was asked to assist YouthBuild USA in assessing its OJJDP-funded mentoring initiative. The REC helped YouthBuild design and implement self-administered questionnaires that are being completed by YouthBuild students. The project will measure student perceptions of the role of mentors as part of YouthBuild and compare students in mentoring programs with those in non-mentoring programs.