Blog Dec 31, 2013
What about Men? A follow-up to Newtown Shootings
In my most recent blog I happen to mention in passing that most of these kinds of shootings are committed by men. In a recent article by Meghan Murphy expanded on this often neglected fact. The issue of guns and access to mental health care has most often been discussed, writes Murphy, but, she says, “no one is asking what is, for once, the single most important question: What about the men?” After listing some of the most well-known mass shootings dating back to 1984, she writes that “In…
Blog Dec 27, 2012
A Partnership to Change Our Criminal Justice System
As 2012 draws to a close, now is a time for reflection on past achievements and future challenges. The holiday season and coming New Year represent an opportunity to jolt us from our everyday complacency. CJCJ is unique in that it joins practitioners and researchers, all working for one common purpose: a more humane justice system. Our hard work builds not just on the dedication of agency staff, interns, and volunteers, rather we rely on generous contributions from individuals such as…
CJCJ authors have published several provocative studies documenting that teenagers and young adults are no more prone to risk-taking and crime than older adults once the fact 15 – 24 year-olds are 2 – 3 times more likely to suffer the economic and environmental harms associated with poverty than middle-agers is taken into account. We find terms like “adolescent risk taking” and “youth violence” are misnomers; rather, there are generally elevated risks that accompany worsening socioeconomic…
CJCJ’s Christa Collins discusses what trauma informed care is, and why it is so effective in serving justice-involved youth. ~ Christa Collins CJCJ Communications and Policy
President Obama, in the wake of the massacre of 26 children and adults in Newtown, Connecticut’s, Sandy Hook Elementary School last Friday, says “we are not doing enoug to protect our children .” He’s right, far more than he acknowledges. How can we possibly “do enough” when the president, interests, and media commentators won’t even talk about what the real dangers to our kids are?Here’s a scary fact neither the president nor other commentators will contemplate, because it’s just too…