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 136 results for your search. View and Refine Your Search Terms

How to stop youth violence: Role models, mentors, glimpses of life's possibilities

Natasha S. Alford

January 23, 2020 |

syracuse.com |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Syracuse, New York

At Syracuse, New York’s Hillbrook Detention Center for youth, the Thinking For A Change program provides kids with classes – taught by mentors with similar backgrounds – like conflict resolution, anger management, problem-solving, and how to recognize signs of abuse. The program is part of a national shift toward rehabilitation and community-based programming, which is associated with a decrease in the number of youth experiencing incarceration.

Read More
Go to Original Story
How Philadelphia Flipped: Second Chances for Youth

Zari Tarazona

January 08, 2020 |

YR Media |

Multi-Media |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Philadelphia has made a concerted effort toward reducing the number of youth being arrested in schools. Leadership, including the school police commissioner and district attorney, changed procedures so that youth, instead of getting arrested, are enrolled in diversion programs. While there’s been pushback from some law enforcement, early studies have pointed to a decline in arrests without a decline in safety.

Read More
Go to Original Story
The judge, jury and lawyers are kids. But punishments at N.J. youth court are real.

Barry Carter

November 18, 2019 |

NJ Advance Media |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Newark, New Jersey

The 10-year-old Newark Youth Court has heard some 700 cases in which high school students serve as judge, jury, and lawyers in proceedings that avoid school discipline or criminal charges with creative exercises in personal accountability. Taking aim at fights, disruptive behavior, or more serious offenses involving weapons or drugs. the Youth Court seeks to encourage better life choices. Outcomes may exclude punishment altogether, imposing community service (including Youth Court jury duty) or other alternatives to jail, avoiding criminal records that can ruin someone's future.

Read More
Go to Original Story
New York providers credit ‘aftercare' for helping youths transition home

Allison Dikanovic

September 16, 2019 |

Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, New York, New York

New York has taken great strides in reforming their juvenile justice system, and key to that has been ensuring that those in the system receive ongoing support once they return to their communities. Organizations like Arches work with probation officers to provide young people with therapy and mentors – whose lives have been similar to their mentees – in order to provide the needed support and guidance. Such programs have shown lowered recidivism rates and have garnered the attention of officials in Milwaukee who are seeking to makeover their system.

Read More
Go to Original Story
New York juvenile justice program stresses ‘safety by relationships'

Allison Dikanovic

September 11, 2019 |

Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, New York, New York

In New York City, the Close to Home initiative is taking a different approach to juvenile justice by centering it around a localized, residential, and rehabilitative model. These facilities operate out of traditional-looking homes and are run by nonprofits like Rising Ground. Its model focuses on building relationships as a key to rehabilitation, and emphasizes the importance of staff / youth relationships and familial connections. As Wisconsin seeks to change their model of juvenile justice, it takes inspiration from Close to Home in its implementation of smaller, more regional facilities.

Read More
Go to Original Story
How New York and Milwaukee approach juvenile justice

Allison Dikanovic

September 09, 2019 |

Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, New York, New York

New York’s Close to Home legislation approaches the juvenile justice system through the lens of rehabilitation, moving those in up-state juvenile facilities to local, sometimes residential housing that emphasizes family and community. The approach has led to a 71% decrease in the number of youth placed in these facilities and a drastic increase in academic performance. Halfway across the country, as Wisconsin closes two of its upstate juvenile facilities, Milwaukee legislators are seeking to implement similar, community-centered programming.

Read More
Go to Original Story
Wind River tribes re-establish program to help those battling drug and alcohol problems

Chris Aadland

July 15, 2019 |

Casper Star-Tribune |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Wind River Reservation, Wyoming

On the Wind River Reservation in Wyoming, a wellness court is helping connect clients with resources that are tailored to cultural practices "in addition to drug or alcohol treatment and mental health help." The program relies on offering incentives for progress rather than punishments for missteps and has already shown success in small-scale implementations.

Read More
Go to Original Story
A Hub for Justice

Roxanne Patel Shepelavy

June 05, 2019 |

The Philadelphia Citizen |

Multi-Media |

5-15 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

The city of Philadelphia has been experimenting and iterating on the development of a Juvenile Justice Hub – a program that would transform interactions between the city’s youth and the police. The Hub is in the testing phase, as it is part of a Bloomberg Philanthropies competition for $1 million in grant funding. If received, the city would be able to officially deploy the ideas it has been testing, like training police in trauma and providing more social services for kids who are picked up by police.

Read More
Go to Original Story
Graffiti punished by reading - 'It worked!' says prosecutor

Emma Jane Kirby

April 16, 2019 |

BBC |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Ashburn, Virginia

After graffitiing a historic landmark with swastikas and racist phrases, a juvenile prosecutor chose to educate rather than punish the perpetrators. Each teen was given a list of 35 books that covered topics like race, religion, and culture, and they had to pick 12 and do monthly assignments for a year. The books included titles like, I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings, by Maya Angelou, and Night, by Elie Wiesel. After the year, the learning opportunity given to the teens showed demonstrable success.

Read More
Go to Original Story
Jury of their peers: Youth court aims to keep students out of criminal justice system

Ron Allen

April 13, 2019 |

NBC News |

Broadcast TV News |

Under 3 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Newark, New Jersey

In Newark Youth Court, the common mistakes and misbehavior of childhood lead to a trial in which all of the participants are high school students, and the outcomes center on second chances and atoning for wrongdoing through community service and decision-making classes. The court, which hears about 100 cases per year, serves as an alternative to pushing allegations of minor fights, vandalism, and truancy into the justice system, where punishment falls most heavily on youth of color and can wreck lives without solving the discipline problems.

Read More
Go to Original Story