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How More Than 50 Women Walked Out of a Prison in Oklahoma

Cary Aspinwall

November 04, 2019 |

The Marshall Project |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Taft, Oklahoma

More than 500 people in Oklahoma had their drug possession felony sentences commuted after voters approved an initiative that changed some drug and property crimes from felonies to misdemeanors. The commutation led to a mass release of prisoners, something that took collaboration between social service groups to make sure those leaving had housing, job support, and other essentials.

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NYC: Where the Police Offer a Free Art Class Instead of Prosecution

Rebecca Bellan

October 22, 2019 |

Bloomberg CityLab |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, New York, New York

Since 2015, Project Reset has diverted potential criminal cases to programs that change behaviors without imposing punishment or staining people's records with criminal convictions. Art classes, behavioral therapy, and restorative dialogue have made 16- and 17-year-olds in the program significantly less likely to commit new offenses, while 98% of those admitted to the program have completed it. Offered in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Bronx, the program helped the Manhattan district attorney nearly cut in half the number of prosecutions of low-level misdemeanors and violations.

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When Resilience Starts With the City's Most Vulnerable Youth

Linda Poon

October 18, 2019 |

Bloomberg CityLab |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Tallahassee, Florida

Tallahassee is coordinating its youth development, violence prevention, and climate adaptation efforts to help out-of-work and out-of-school youth earn their GED and secure jobs helping to shape the city's climate resilience plan. One of the ways the program works is by enrolling participants in apprenticeships within local public works departments and puts them on track to get the required licensing for employment. So far, 640 teens and young adults have participated in the program.

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How Baltimore CeaseFire Cuts Violence In Half

Jaisal Noor

October 17, 2019 |

The Real News Network |

Broadcast TV Programs |

Over 15 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Baltimore, Maryland

The Baltimore Ceasefire movement -- which asks community members to put away their guns for specific weekends -- began in 2017 when its organizers had enough of the gun violence in their city. Now, the ceasefire weekends, which happen 4 times a year, have resulted in 30-60% fewer gun-related deaths during designated weekends.

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Gun Investigators Cautiously Optimistic About New Fingerprint Technology

Ann Givens

October 11, 2019 |

The Trace |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: England, Loughborough

A collaboration between England’s Loughborough University, the UK’s Ministry of Defence, and a company called Foster + Freeman has led to a new technology that can pull fingerprints from shell casings. What was once a nearly impossible task, is showing promise, as police departments across the United States try out the new technology. That said, there are still some questions about its efficacy and ability to stand up as evidence in court.

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'A model of sustainable commerce': carbon footprint, grid concerns push SoCal weed industry to be more green

Melissa Daniels

October 10, 2019 |

Desert Sun |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Desert Hot Springs, California

California-based cannabis company, Canndescent, has taken many steps toward low-carbon sustainability in its operations. The company uses commercial-scale solar energy, reverse-mounted ceiling fans, and microburst irrigation systems as a way of demonstrating “a model of sustainable commerce.” As legalizing cannabis grows in popularity, other states and cities are looking toward sustainable practices to off-set the high-energy needed for such growth.

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Gun Reform is on the Agenda. But Victims of Color Aren't.

Champe Barton

October 09, 2019 |

The Trace |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Washington, District of Columbia

With gun reform being a key legislative topic, the majority of time, energy, and resources have focused on preventing mass shootings, which amount to just 2-3% of gun-related homicides. The rest affect majority communities of color, which policy, lobbying, and reform efforts have largely ignored. Even with local violence-reduction efforts like Oakland’s LIVE FREE focused deterrence or a Chicago school’s focus on cognitive behavioral therapy showing impact, the allotted resources at the federal level continue to pass them by.

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His Aunt Saw Red Flags. Police Say That May Have Prevented A Mass Shooting

Ryan Lindsay

October 08, 2019 |

Connecticut Public Radio |

Radio |

3-5 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Connecticut

Connecticut has had Extreme Risk Protection Orders, or “red flag” laws, in effect since 1999. These laws allow citizens to provide tips to law enforcement if they suspect danger or violence, in which case law enforcement can then temporarily remove firearms from the suspects homes. While these have gained bipartisan popularity and have shown to decrease suicide attempts, proof of homicide or mass shooting preventions remains to be seen.

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Armed with trumpets, S. African men fight crime against women

Kim Harrisberg

September 30, 2019 |

Thomson Reuters Foundation |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: South Africa, Johannesburg

Volunteers patrol Soweto township streets, blowing vuvuzelas – the long, plastic trumpets of World Cup fame – to alert women that it is safe to commute to their train or bus stops. The male-led campaign is a response to high rates of street violence, much of it gender-based, and the failure of the police to respond effectively. Thousands of volunteers work in groups of up to 15 to provide the service, which police credit with lowering robberies and other street crime. The patrols often intervene when they witness violence.

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If violence spreads like a disease, it can be interrupted. How a new team in Milwaukee is trying to stop one shooting leading to another.

Ashley Luthern Sydney Czyzon

September 25, 2019 |

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Milwaukee’s 414LIFE program is treating violence like a public health issue, seeking to interrupt and prevent its spread. The pilot program is a collaboration between the city’s Office of Violence Prevention, local nonprofits, and hospitals and healthcare networks. The initiative works closely with victims of violence to make sure they have the support and resources they need to prevent violent retaliation and employs people who are from the communities they’re responding to in an effort to take a hyper-local response.

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