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From a Prison Garden Sprouts Real Growth

Hannah Wallace

July 27, 2021 |

Reasons to be Cheerful |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Oregon

Lettuce Grow teaches gardening skills to 200 incarcerated people per year in 16 Oregon prisons and juvenile detention centers. The teaching includes college-level courses and hands-on gardening on prison grounds, which then yields hundreds of thousands of pounds of fresh vegetables for prison kitchens. Graduates of the program commit many fewer crimes than the average ex-prisoner and have found work after prison at nurseries and in other horticultural pursuits.

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What Do Police Know About Teenagers? Not Enough.

Meryl Davids Landau

July 17, 2021 |

The New York Times |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Lafayette, Indiana

"Policing the teen brain" is a training regimen devised by Strategies for Youth that teaches police officers to de-escalate conflicts with adolescents to avoid unnecessary incarceration. Youth detention has dropped significantly since Tippecanoe County put most of its officers through the training. Police learn how to account for teens' lowered impulse control and undeveloped problem solving skills. The county decided to pay for the expensive training because detention, which hits Black youth hardest, can be even more costly – and leave lasting damage in the lives of young people.

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Kathy Friedman and InkWell Workshops offer struggling writers a chance to turn the page

Ziya Jones

July 11, 2021 |

Toronto Star |

Text |

Under 800 Words

Response Location: Canada, Toronto, Ontario

InkWell Workshops offers a safe space for writers who have experienced mental health and addiction issues. In addition to mentorships and other professional development guidance, the group offers free weekly drop-in workshops led by professional writers, all of whom have lived with mental illness. The weekly schedule provides routine, while the drop-in structure allows needed flexibility for those managing the ups and downs of their mental health. The group has made a point of reflecting participant diversity in their instructors. Participants have published work created in Inkwell’s workshops.

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Rethinking policing: How Tempe de-escalation class changes officer behavior

Melissa Blasius

July 02, 2021 |

KNXV-TV |

Broadcast TV News |

3-5 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Tempe, Arizona

A controversial police shooting and other fraught encounters between Tempe police and residents prompted police to devise their own retraining regimen focused on de-escalation. The department observed other cities' programs and learned from its own officers who are known for defusing potentially volatile situations. After training some officers with the new curriculum, the department invited researchers to compare body-cam footage of trained and untrained officers. Though the findings did not show fewer shootings or uses of force, they did show a less aggressive, more calming approach.

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School district grows leaders from within to battle housing pressure in hiring

Tom Hallberg

June 30, 2021 |

Jackson Hole News & Guide |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Jackson, Wyoming

In order to develop the next generation of school administrative leaders, the Teton County School District created a leadership development program. The aim of the program is to create a pool of candidates who will become the next principals, curriculum exports and mentors. A sort of pipeline. The two year program includes a capstone, internships, and lessons. Five years since its inception, 36 people have graduated, half of those entered leadership roles in the district.

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Post-Derek Chauvin, Police Are Training to Intervene When They Witness Misconduct

Zusha Elinson Denise Blostein Rob Alcaraz

June 28, 2021 |

Wall Street Journal |

Multi-Media |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Denver, Colorado

After videos showed two Minneapolis police officers did nothing to stop Derek Chauvin from killing George Floyd, more than 130 police departments raced to sign up to train their officers on how to intervene to prevent fellow officers from using excessive force or committing other misconduct. A course called Active Bystandership for Law Enforcement (ABLE) trains officers who then take the training to the officers in their departments. The training seeks to overcome the insular culture of policing, teaching an escalating series of tactics to stop misconduct on the spot.

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Addressing unemployment and preparing residents for a career

Megan Sanctorum

June 25, 2021 |

WRTV-TV |

Multi-Media |

3-5 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Indianapolis, Indiana

Community Alliance of the Far East Side is providing job training and resources to residents in need of jobs. The initiative is spurring economic growth by connecting community members to jobs.

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How one police agency used martial arts to reduce use-of-force injuries

Melissa Blasius

June 11, 2021 |

KNXV-TV |

Broadcast TV News |

3-5 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Marietta, Georgia

In Marietta, Ga., a viral video of police beating a man to gain control of him in an arrest led to mandatory training for new police officers in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. The martial arts training reduced injuries to both officers and those they are trying to arrest because it reduced the need for punching, striking, or using Tasers or guns. The training also makes officers more confident and calmer, thus less apt to resort to greater uses of force. A retired Phoenix police officer with a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu plans to offer free training in Tempe to area police officers.

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This Fitness Entrepreneurship Course Is a Second Chance for the Formerly Incarcerated

Kristi Eaton

June 09, 2021 |

Next City |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, New York, New York

People who spend their time in prison getting physically fit might seek to turn what they've learned into a job as a fitness trainer, once they're released. But felony convictions act as a barrier to such jobs. A Second U Foundation, founded by a formerly incarcerated man who faced such barriers, provides an eight-week course in running a fitness-training business. Of the 200 people who have taken the course since 2015, three-quarters have been hired by health clubs, while the others started their own businesses. Foundations and grants foot the bill so that the training is free.

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A way forward for employing people with disabilities in Lithuania

Giedrė Čiužaitė

June 01, 2021 |

Lithuanian Radio and Television (LRT) |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Lithuania

Employment intermediaries from VšĮ SOPA act as workforce development counselors and recruiters for both employers and people with disabilities. By preparing people for jobs that fit their abilities, and then aiding in a job search, the intermediaries are able to place about half of their 100-plus clients in appropriate jobs. Common in Western Europe, where government funding enables such services, the service in Lithuania relies on private funding, which can be less stable. Jobs for people with disabilities provide self-confidence and independence.

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