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

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  • College-in-prison programs have many benefits, but barriers to access abound

    June 21, 2021 |

    Prism |

    Text |

    800-1500 Words

    Response Location: United States, Middletown, Connecticut

    College-in-prison programs like Wesleyan University's Center for Prison Education have a track record for improving incarcerated students' lives, lowering crime, and making prisons safer. But a number of factors compromise the number and effectiveness of such programs. Many fewer programs exist since incarcerated students were denied Pell Grants beginning in the 1990s. A 2015 program aimed at making financial aid more accessible poses a number of logistical hurdles. Prisons themselves can be inhospitable environments for attending classes and independent studies.

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  • The Everglades Experiment: Florida's First 'Incentivized' Prison Redefines Punishment

    June 21, 2021 |

    The Crime Report |

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    1500-3000 Words

    Response Location: United States, Miami, Florida

    Two years into an experiment in "incentivized prison" management, Florida's Everglades Correctional Institution is considered the state's safest prison. An incarcerated journalist reporting from inside writes that by rewarding good behavior instead of only punishing bad behavior, the prison has expanded the classes it offers incarcerated men who can participate if they have a trouble-free record for four years. Separating men from the general population based on their desire to work toward their own rehabilitation and success once they leave prison has reduced stress and violence in the prison.

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  • Some U.S. states have higher vaccination rates inside prisons than outside.

    June 01, 2021 |

    The New York Times |

    Text |

    Under 800 Words

    Response Location: United States, California

    Three state prison systems have vaccinated incarcerated people at far greater rates than in the general public thanks in part to educational meetings with experts that helped overcome natural distrust. In California and North Dakota, town-hall-type meetings gave incarcerated people opportunities to ask questions about safety. Kansas prisons gave incarcerated people priority in the vaccination program, and provided them and their families with information. Other possible factors increasing compliance included peer pressure and the ease of getting vaccinated within the prisons.

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  • Utah Co. jail has largest jail industries program nationwide, providing jobs and hope for inmates

    May 28, 2021 |

    KSTU-TV |

    Broadcast TV News |

    Under 3 Minutes

    Response Location: United States, Spanish Fork, Utah

    Nearly 10,000 people incarcerated in the Utah County Jail have found paid work in the community during their jail terms thanks to the sheriff's Jail Industries program. While the incarcerated people get to keep just 20% of their wages, and only people with low-level offenses may participate, about 70% who go through the program get offered permanent jobs when they're released, thanks to employers' satisfaction with the workers. Having a decent job is a critical factor in preventing future criminal offenses. Jail Industries graduates have shown lower than average recidivism rates.

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  • People in Solitary Confinement and Volunteers Team Up to Garden, Imagine a World Without Prisons

    May 27, 2021 |

    Next City |

    Text |

    800-1500 Words

    Response Location: United States, New Orleans, Louisiana

    The Solitary Gardens project started in New Orleans and has been copied in multiple other places as a combination art exhibit and therapeutic link between incarcerated people and the outside world. People on both sides of the prison walls collaborate in pairs to design a garden that grows flowers and herbs chosen by the incarcerated person. The gardens match the tiny dimensions of a solitary-confinement cell. The healing herbs are used to help others, and the exercise overall gives incarcerated people a sense of connection to the earth, part of the project's prison-abolition message.

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  • This running program gives a mental health boost to incarcerated women

    May 27, 2021 |

    The Philadelphia Citizen |

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    1500-3000 Words

    Response Location: United States, Wilsonville, Oregon

    More than 1,000 women incarcerated at Oregon's Coffee Creek Correctional Facility have participated since 2015 in Reason to Run, a program promoting better physical and mental health through running. Participants receive eight weeks of training and then are eligible to compete in races, albeit within the prison confines. After their release, the encouragement continues with "run care packages" of sneakers and sports bras. Surveys show the women felt happier, healthier, and part of a positive group experience.

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  • Reforms are emptying Louisiana's prisons. This group makes sure no one goes back.

    May 26, 2021 |

    The Washington Post |

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    1500-3000 Words

    Response Location: United States, New Orleans, Louisiana

    First 72+ is a New Orleans reentry agency founded by formerly incarcerated people to help others as they exit prison. That help focuses on everyday needs for transportation, housing, and emotional support. As in many states, a large share of formerly incarcerated people get sent back to prison, often for lack of support on the outside. The name First 72+ refers to research showing how the first 72 hours after prison can determine one's fate. In six years, none of the 176 people, mostly men, served by the agency has returned to prison, a record that prompted the state to send more clients to the agency.

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  • From LA jail, two inmates pioneer care for mentally ill peers

    May 18, 2021 |

    The Christian Science Monitor |

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    1500-3000 Words

    Response Location: United States, Los Angeles, California

    At the Los Angeles County Jail, two men incarcerated on pending murder charges created a homegrown approach to improving the care and conditions of confinement for people with serious mental illness. Their approach is simple: showing love and care for people whose illness makes them feel like outcasts. By helping fellow incarcerated men attend counseling and other programs, and by tending to their personal needs, the initiative has contributed to a significant drop in people harming themselves. Fewer restraints are needed, and the pods where the program operates are notably cleaner and calmer than before.

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  • People leaving prison in Michigan still face hurdles to getting an ID

    May 11, 2021 |

    Detroit Free Press |

    Text |

    800-1500 Words

    Response Location: United States, Detroit, Michigan

    Michigan prisons and the state's secretary of state teamed up to provide people leaving prison on parole with the one thing they often lack: valid personal identification papers. Without a Social Security card or state ID, people struggle to get hired, rent housing, or open a bank account. In the program's first six months, more than 1,200 people got IDs. That's only a third of those eligible. Private groups have taken up some of the slack. The state says it should provide get the service fully up to speed by late 2021.

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  • Drug treatment program is helping local inmates overcome addiction

    May 06, 2021 |

    WRTV-TV |

    Broadcast TV News |

    3-5 Minutes

    Response Location: United States, Columbus, Indiana

    The Bartholomew County Jail's drug treatment program started in January 2020 with a rigorous application process, followed by about 400 hours of group and individual therapy for incarcarcerated people with drug abuse problems. The therapy attempts to unlock the reasons why each person's previous attempts to get healthy have failed. All but five of the 49 graduates so far have stayed out of jail and stayed in touch with the program, which helps them after their release with housing and job searches.

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