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

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  • Reform Activists and a New DA Find Common Ground

    September 09, 2018 |

    70 Million |

    Podcast |

    Over 15 Minutes

    Response Location: United States, Houston, Texas

    In Texas' Harris County, the state's most populous county, a grassroots collective of criminal justice activists contributed to a political shift that led to reforms in prosecutions, jails, bail, and policing. Inspired by the movement sparked by the death of Michael Brown in Missouri in 2014, groups such as Houston Justice and the Texas Organizing Project backed the election of a reform-minded district attorney, who turned toward community collaboration and away from tough-on-crime solutions. The new DA, plus favorable court rulings and state laws, softened the country's rough-justice reputation.

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  • Youth Need Community-Based Treatment, Not Jails

    September 05, 2018 |

    The Crime Report |

    Text |

    Under 800 Words

    Response Location: United States

    The number of youth confined in U.S. detention facilities has dropped by nearly half since 1997, saving money and reducing recidivism. A report by the Justice Policy Institute says this has made communities safer, but that reductions are only among those accused of nonviolent crimes and that racial and ethnic disparities have increased. The report calls for changes, such as repealing state laws on mandatory sentences, offering better probation supervision and creating more diversion options.

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  • Can New Zealand Provide the U.S. With a Model for Juvenile Justice Reform?

    September 04, 2018 |

    Pacific Standard |

    Text |

    800-1500 Words

    Response Location: New Zealand

    New Zealand introduced restorative justice practices for juveniles in their criminal justice system after incredibly high rates of child incarceration and an over-representation of minorities. The practice, in places since the late 80's, includes youth justice councils and limits police arrests. The "overall number of youth arrested, charged, and incarcerated" has fallen, but there is still disproportionate representation of minority groups in the system.

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  • Rethinking Criminal Justice for Women of Color

    September 03, 2018 |

    The Innovator |

    Text |

    800-1500 Words

    Response Location: United States, New York, New York

    Project SAFE, based in New York, is providing justice-oriented programs and courts around the country with a lesson in intersectionality. Citing the unique realities that Black women face, the project partners with others on multiple initiatives, including: trauma-based training, policy research, podcasts, and overall knowledge dissemination. Across all initiatives is the underlying goal of bringing more understanding and knowledge to those who play a direct role in the incarceration of Black women.

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  • Veterans Courts Give Soldiers a Way Back

    September 02, 2018 |

    70 Million |

    Podcast |

    Over 15 Minutes

    Response Location: United States, Boston, Massachusetts

    When military veterans get charged with crimes, more than 350 courts nationwide exist to try to keep them out of jail, with rehabilitation as the chief goal. Boston Veterans Court provides people with social workers, outreach specialists, access to therapy, and help in going to school, finding a job, and dealing with life's stresses. Many people in this system come home from war struggling with anger, trauma, and substance abuse problems. Some studies have quantified veterans courts' success rates for helping people overcoming mental illness and staying out of criminal trouble.

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  • How 'the incarceration capital of America' embraced criminal justice reform

    August 31, 2018 |

    PBS NewsHour |

    Broadcast TV News |

    5-15 Minutes

    Response Location: United States, New Orleans, Louisiana

    After years of being the incarceration capital of America, Louisiana began changing its laws in 2017 to cut the number of people in prison, prompting a drop of seven percent in the prison population and savings of $12 million. The funds will be reinvested in education, job training and other programs in prisons and jails for those about to be released. But many challenges remain, including stigma from employers and landlords, and skepticism by the state's attorney general.

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  • New Jersey Bails Out

    August 29, 2018 |

    NPR |

    Radio |

    Over 15 Minutes

    Response Location: United States, New Jersey

    Although California has become the first state to eliminate the cash bail system, New Jersey has been using an algorithm for the last 18 months to combat the economic injustice created by the system. This bail reform, which looks at risk assessment on a scaled level, has successfully resulted to less people in prison as well as decreased crime rates.

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  • Hey, Can We Talk? Mediation Might Help Reduce Evictions

    August 27, 2018 |

    San Francisco Public Press |

    Text |

    800-1500 Words

    Response Location: United States, San Francisco, California

    In Madison, Wisconsin, encouraging mediation and dispute-resolution between tenants and landlords has helped to limit evictions and San Francisco is looking to scale the model. Mediation helps build a relationship between the two parties in a dispute to help prevent more serious consequences like evictions and help both tenant and landlord solve problems, but the waiting list is long and the option is not available to everyone. Even then, encouraging the process would save money for all parties involved by limiting legal disputes.

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  • Locals Divided Between Diversion and Border Security

    August 26, 2018 |

    70 Million |

    Podcast |

    Over 15 Minutes

    Response Location: United States, Tucson, Arizona

    Pima County, Arizona, eased its jail overcrowding with reforms that reduced the jail population by 400 people. Its Community Collaborative put key players from the criminal justice system, plus formerly incarcerated people, on a team that created programs to divert cases from incarceration to treatment, screen people to detain fewer people before trial, and a new court to reduce the problems working people had in making court dates. A new jail was no longer needed. But a federal border program that gave the county incentives to make needless arrests undercut some of those reforms.

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  • Working together to prevent child abuse

    August 17, 2018 |

    Alaska Public Media |

    Radio |

    Over 15 Minutes

    Response Location: United States, Anchorage, Alaska

    In order to address child abuse and neglect community members got together to form: R.O.C.K Mat Su, a collaborative organization composed of several organizations that has “teamed up with government agencies, schools and judges to develop a comprehensive solution.” So far, they have been able to train 10 schools to become trauma informed schools, trained over 2,000 people in the community, and created an alternative judicial court for children that prioritizes family reunification.

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