Story Search Results

Advanced Search

There are so many ways to search the solutions journalism stories in this database. Explore our searchable fields:

Search Results

You searched for: -

There are 858 results for your search. View and Refine Your Search Terms

'Nobody was born bad'

Allison Shirk Collins

March 01, 2019 |

Chattanooga Times Free Press |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Chattanooga, Tennessee

Chattanooga’s Violence Reduction Initiatives used a focused deterrence strategy to reduce crime. The initiative has led to a decrease in gang-involved homicides and shootings, working with individuals on probation to provide them with the social services they need to stop them from re-entering a life of crime. A core part of this method is to show communities that they’re not forgotten and that they’re cared for, and yet securing funding and consistent support for such programming has been challenging.

Read More
Go to Original Story
Australia is building community alternatives to prisons — they work

Lorana Bartels

February 22, 2019 |

Apolitical |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Australia

With their national imprisonment rate on the rise, Australia is pivoting to a justice reinvestment strategy that diverts money towards "early intervention, prevention and diversion." Although this has yet to be implemented on a large scale, small projects are underway in parts of the country and have delivered promising results.

Read More
Go to Original Story
Denver Program Aims To Divert Low-Level Drug, Prostitution Offenders Away From Jail

Natalia Navarro

February 19, 2019 |

Colorado Public Radio |

Text |

Under 800 Words

Response Location: United States, Denver, Colorado

In Colorado, four communities are piloting a program that offers low-level drug or prostitution offenders an alternative to prison. This program, known as Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion, matches the offender with a case manager who in turn connects them with treatment and training resources.

Read More
Go to Original Story
Special Courts for Veterans Languish

Joseph Darius Jaafari

February 19, 2019 |

The Marshall Project |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Washington, District of Columbia

Veterans treatment courts were developed in 2008 as a way for veterans to receive mental health counseling and substance abuse treatment rather than face incarceration. Created to address the mental health concerns that can lead to drug abuse and other issues, the courts have not seen the successes that were originally anticipated. Due to little demand, inconvenient locations, and mixed results, experts are calling into question the existence of such specialized courts.

Read More
Go to Original Story
Scrubbing The Past To Give Those With A Criminal Record A Second Chance

Eric Westervelt Barbara Brosher

February 19, 2019 |

NPR |

Radio |

5-15 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Indiana

Indiana's Second Chance law was passed in 2013 and allows people to petition to remove their misdemeanor convictions and arrests from public view. In Marion County alone, more than 11,500 people have visited the full-time paralegal processing all requests since legislators implemented the law. Many of those visitors speak with relief about the newfound opportunities that have come their way since the dismantling of that barrier. This is part of a growing movement in the US to reimagine the existing criminal justice system that creates far more problems than it solves.

Read More
Go to Original Story
Jail or Bail? There's a New Option

Ted Alcorn

February 01, 2019 |

The New York Times |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, New York, New York

Between the opposite extremes of jailing too many people unnecessarily before trial or releasing too many unsupervised, New York City judges in 2016 began to use a "supervised release" option. In the first three years, the program's 11,000 defendants showed up for court dates 89% of the time while 8% were rearrested for new felony crimes. The program, which requires people check in regularly with a case manager, helped reduce the jail population by more than a third. The approach tries to balance the needs of public safety with the reality that even a short jail stay carries its own social harms.

Read More
Go to Original Story
Justice by the Numbers: Meet the Statistician Trying to Fix Bias in Criminal Justice Algorithms

Katia Savchuk

February 01, 2019 |

Pacific Standard |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, New York

Algorithm-based tools are more frequently being used by courts to determine the risk of an alleged offender so judges can better determine whether the person should be detained or not before trial. Although this methodology has shown promise, there are serious limitations when there is not enough data or biased data. One non-profit is working to change this by reevaluating the limitations and advocating for the release of individuals being unjustly detained.

Read More
Go to Original Story
Building the Prison-to-School Pipeline in California

Zoe Sullivan

January 28, 2019 |

Next City |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Berkeley, California

Providing those experiencing incarceration with educational services has shown to reduce recidivism by 28%. While many prisons offer GED or higher education classes, the opportunities are still hard to come by consistently, so organizations like Underground Scholars help recruit individuals after prison to colleges. Looking forward, those pushing for criminal justice reform hope to overturn a 1994 legislation that banned incarcerated individuals from being eligible for Pell Grants, which could help drive more people from prison to school.

Read More
Go to Original Story
Incarcerated fathers connect with children thanks to local program

Frank Wiley

January 14, 2019 |

WEWS-TV |

Broadcast TV News |

Under 3 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Cleveland, Ohio

In Cuyahoga County, Ohio, the Passages program, part of its larger Fatherhood Initiative, aims to help men become more involved parents. The program, instituted in the hopes of reducing recidivism rates and creating stronger male role models in the community, provides participants with job training, emotional support, and the skills they need to be active parents for their families.

Read More
Go to Original Story
This Detroit farm is helping former inmates stay out of prison

David Hall

January 11, 2019 |

NBC News |

Broadcast TV News |

3-5 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Detroit, Michigan

When people are released from prison, they often have a hard time finding work due to time lapsed and prison records. RecoveryPark Farms in Detroit, Michigan aims to change this by providing job training in urban farming which benefits both the individuals and the community.

Read More
Go to Original Story