Artwork stating 'Education Destroys Barriers', 'We Demand Treatment', and 'I Need A Chance'

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  • Should Abusers Keep Their Guns? In These 13 States, Judges Choose.

    January 26, 2021 |

    The Trace |

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    800-1500 Words

    Response Location: United States

    In four of the 13 states where judges have the power to deny domestic-violence abusers access to guns, arbitrarily applied standards lead to a patchwork of enforcement of the laws. A review of cases heard in Arizona, Michigan, New Hampshire, and South Dakota shows that outcomes depend more on the county in which a case is heard, or a particular judge's beliefs about guns, than on a consistent application of the laws' standards. In some cases, clear allegations of a dire threat did not win approval of a domestic protection order. In others, orders were granted without allegations that guns posed a threat.

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  • More Dayton residents have conflict during COVID-19. Mediation comes to the rescue.

    January 18, 2021 |

    Dayton Daily News |

    Text |

    800-1500 Words

    Response Location: United States, Dayton, Ohio

    In Dayton, neighbor disputes and other conflicts ended up in mediation far more often in 2020, thanks to the Dayton Mediation Center's online services at a time when local court operations were limited by the pandemic. A 23% increase in cases can be seen as both bad news and good: more conflicts among people frustrated by social distancing, but more willingness to address conflicts constructively through dialogue mediated by trained volunteers. Dayton police, who are often called to intervene in neighborhood and domestic spats, will be trained to refer cases to the free mediation center in 2021.

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  • How Genesee County wants to change criminal justice: A New Juvenile Justice Center

    January 10, 2021 |

    Flint Beat |

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    1500-3000 Words

    Response Location: United States, Flint, Michigan

    A new Juvenile Justice Center that will focus on trauma-informed treatment of children rather than simply jailing them is still more than one year from completion. But, in the years leading to its opening, the county's family courts have cut in half the numbers of children held in detention by emphasizing rehabilitation programs over jail. Many of the services are based on the "Missouri Model" of juvenile justice, which has been shown to reduce incarceration and prevent crime through evidence-based approaches that are more therapeutic than punitive.

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  • CASA program uses volunteers to advocate for kids

    January 04, 2021 |

    Knox Pages |

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    1500-3000 Words

    Response Location: United States, Mount Vernon, Ohio

    In 55 Ohio counties, judges can appoint volunteers from Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) programs to represent the interests of children when their families' struggles end up in court. CASA volunteers act as a judge's eyes and ears in the lives of children who are suspected of being victims of abuse or neglect, or who at least need a more stable home. They recommend placement options and treatment services. Such programs can save counties money, by replacing paid lawyers serving as guardians, and volunteers can be more attentive to children's needs.

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  • New laws lead some Washington prosecutors to rethink three-strike life sentences

    January 03, 2021 |

    The Seattle Times |

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    1500-3000 Words

    Response Location: United States, Washington

    Nearly three decades after Washington voters made their state the first to enact a three-strikes law, imposing life imprisonment for repeated, serious offenses, some prosecutors have found ways to avoid the law's effects that are seen as unduly harsh or racially biased. Some have interpreted a law authorizing resentencing to apply to three-strikes cases. Others have pushed the governor to grant clemency more often. This new willingness to question the law's effects is not universal among prosecutors, and the state Supreme Court soon will weigh in on the issue.

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  • Prosecutors try to keep people out of pandemic-clogged courts through diversion programs

    December 30, 2020 |

    Missouri Independent |

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    1500-3000 Words

    Response Location: United States, St. Louis, Missouri

    Missouri legislators passed a law in 2019 clarifying that prosecutors can divert criminal cases to social services and healthcare agencies even before charges are filed. Small experiments that had been taking place in recent years suddenly grew in St. Louis County to help the courts focus only on serious cases during pandemic shutdowns. Now those innovations are spreading, as more drug cases and other low-level cases avoid the courts altogether. This eases the burden also on people, who in traditional drug courts still get arrested and face employment barriers even if their cases eventually get dropped.

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  • NYC Court Summons Redesigned With Human Behavior in Mind

    December 22, 2020 |

    Government Technology |

    Text |

    800-1500 Words

    Response Location: United States, New York, New York

    New York City courts significantly reduced no-shows for court dates by redesigning court summons forms and sending text reminders to people of their upcoming court dates. An estimated 30,000 fewer arrest warrants were issued, thanks to the behavioral "nudges" that researchers designed with one realization in mind: People often miss court dates accidentally, not intentionally. The changes were made to summons systems, used for low-level offenses, but they could also be used in more serious criminal cases.

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  • Michigan's weakened environmental laws lead activists to embrace other tactics

    December 10, 2020 |

    Planet Detroit |

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    1500-3000 Words

    Response Location: United States, Detroit, Michigan

    Environmental deregulation and budget cuts opened the door for a loose coalition of environmental attorneys and activists to do the accountability work for the regulatory system. The groups sue to force companies to follow the law, contest permits, and run media campaigns to raise awareness of corporate misdeeds. Their efforts have been effective, forcing the closure of a toxic incinerator, pushing utilities towards clean energy, and revealing environmental abuses of major companies. The groups work with residents in impacted communities to determine priorities and organize support among neighbors.

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  • Alternative sentencing program offers resources for recovery rather than jail time

    November 23, 2020 |

    Richland Source |

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    1500-3000 Words

    Response Location: United States, Mansfield, Ohio

    The Richland County Community Alternative Center provides court-ordered drug and alcohol treatment in lieu of jail for people facing criminal charges related to their addiction. In 60-, 90-, or 120-day treatment terms, patients from across Ohio receive addiction counseling, therapy, work training, and other skills classes. Case managers help prepare people for re-entry when their sentence has been served. The center is run by the courts, which pay for treatment services, which makes it unusual.

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  • Where the COVID-19 Pandemic Might Finally Ignite Change in the Bail Bonds System

    November 16, 2020 |

    70 Million |

    Podcast |

    Over 15 Minutes

    Response Location: United States, Miami, Florida

    The spread of COVID-19 in jails prompted many releases from custody and a surge in donations to bail funds that pay for people's release. But those fixes have done little to address the underlying challenges of detaining millions of people before trial, either because they cannot afford cash bail or because risk-assessment tools deem them a threat to public safety or unlikely to return to court. In two South Florida jails, the struggles over containing the virus, providing due process to criminal defendants, and ensuring public safety have brought the debate into sharper focus.

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