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A Fairhill church is redemption central for ex-offenders

Kristen E. Holmes

July 07, 2017 |

The Philadelphia Inquirer (Philadelphia Media Network) |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

A church in Philadelphia is adept at ministering to those coming out of incarceration and drug use because its two pastors come from that very same world. They hold members accountable, which could mean a required stint in rehab before folks can use the various services of the church like housing, food and help with employment. As a result the recidivism rate of members is about five percent, far lower that the state-wide rate.

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Delivering Gourmet Pizza, and Jobs Training, in Cook County Jail

Serena Maria Daniels

July 06, 2017 |

Next City |

Multi-Media |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Chicago, Illinois

Recipe for Change is a program that teaches incarcerated people Italian cuisine skills, which is meant to help them gain employment when they reenter society. An estimated 200 people have gone through the program. Similarly, other programs are focusing on helping formerly incarcerated people gain employment.

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In Philly courts, whether they'll die in prison comes down to their birthday

Samantha Melamed

July 06, 2017 |

The Philadelphia Inquirer (Philadelphia Media Network) |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

A 2016 U.S. Supreme Court decision allows those sentenced to life for crimes committed as juveniles to seek parole. These people make up more than half of lifers in Pennsylvania, which is considering numerous appeals, but now those sentenced when they were slightly older are arguing the impulsivity and immaturity that makes juveniles less culpable are also present in the brains of those in their 20s. They are seeking to ensure the same legal rulings also apply to them and the legal system is trying to reconcile legal definitions of adulthood with evolving brain science.

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Pennsylvania's top court just made it way harder to sentence kids to life in prison

Samantha Melamed

June 26, 2017 |

The Philadelphia Inquirer (Philadelphia Media Network) |

Text |

Under 800 Words

Response Location: United States, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

To sentence a minor to life in prison without parole, prosecutors in Pennsylvania must now prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the minor is incapable of rehabilitation. The state supreme court ruling is meant to recognize most children’s impulsivity and their ability to change. The ruling is a significant step in Pennsylvania, which is home to the largest population of juvenile lifers in the nation.

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Taking On Recidivism: Larry Platt speaks with Attorney General Josh Shapiro

Larry Platt

June 26, 2017 |

The Philadelphia Citizen |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania's attorney general may sound more like a defense attorney as he lays out plans to focus more resources on helping people returning from incarceration integrate into society. But Josh Shapiro insists his approach is pragmatic and he helped launch a statewide re-entry council that coordinates efforts among 21 local coalitions and also brings in services providers and state agencies. The effort is using a comprehensive approach to address crime, including addiction treatment, housing and education.

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Victim families use their pain to help murderers change

Chelcey Adami

June 23, 2017 |

The Salinas Californian |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Soledad, California

The Monterey County chapter of Parents of Murdered Children and a rehabilitative group inside the prison at Soledad, Life CYCLE, team up to hold meetings in which parents of murder victims communicate their hurt, and their children's stories, so that incarcerated men experience a new form of accountability. The dialogues, where those convicted of crimes may for the first time truly see a victim's perspective, also benefit the survivors by letting them try to produce something good from their terrible experiences. The program is credited with lowering recidivism rates substantially.

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Nueces County ditches juvenile boot camp for new approach

Krista M. Torralva

June 23, 2017 |

Corpus Christi Caller Times |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Nueces County, Texas

In Nueces County, Texas, military-style boot camp was the norm for troubled juveniles, who were forced to complete drills that simulate ROTC with instructors. The newly named Robert N. Barnes Region Juvenile Facility began replacing this antiquated method with therapeutic support and yoga relaxation techniques focus on the psycho-social health of troubled juveniles. The facility serves as a model of what boot camps could become.

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In the fifth most deadly state for domestic violence deaths, a new South Carolina program sees first flicker of success

Caitlin Byrd

June 21, 2017 |

The Post and Courier |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Spartanburg, North Carolina

In High Point North Carolina, domestic violence cases dramatically dropped after the city adopted a “focused deterrence” approach. “Where the city once saw between three and five domestic homicides a year, it has only had two in the last five years (one involved a couple from out of town). The last domestic homicide in High Point was in 2015.” The approach has worked in other cities as well. Now, Spartanburg County is the first to implement it at the county level.

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Why a $10,000 Philly tax break got almost no takers

Jane M. Von Bergen

June 21, 2017 |

The Philadelphia Inquirer (Philadelphia Media Network) |

Multi-Media |

Under 800 Words

Response Location: United States, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

In Philadelphia, the city enrolled out a program that offered companies a $10,000 tax credit. The catch? Hire former prisoners who have crime records. To the surprise of the city, the program tanked. Now, the city created a similar, but revised program “ the Fair Chance Hiring Initiative.”

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Empowering Women to Break the Jihadi Cycle

Krithika Varagur

June 20, 2017 |

The New York Times |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Indonesia

In order to counter terrorism and reduce recidivism of incarcerated male jihadists', the Entrepreneurship and Proselytization Empowerment Program helps the wives of jailed extremists through counseling and lessons about entrepreneurship. The program can help these families stay afloat and decrease the appeal of extremism for their husbands upon release.

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