Kathy Park

Last month, in response to news reports about the tortured life and death of a little boy, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors waded into the thorny question of how to predict child abuse.

As a former child protection worker, I know that the death of a child is the worst possible outcome, the one that we all fear. Words can’t express the sorrow we feel when a child dies.

Child protection workers have a challenging job. They make vital decisions every day, often based on limited information gathered in difficult circumstances. Education, ongoing training, and experience are essential. However, a wealth of research has shown that intuition isn’t the best guide for complex decisions.

National Council on Crime and Delinquency President Alex Busansky has left the organization after five years to start a new entity called Impact Justice. Busansky announced the move late last week on his personal Twitter account: “I am thrilled to announce the launch of Impact Justice, a national innovation and research center.”