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

Search Results

You searched for: -

There are 222 results  for your search.  View and Refine Your Search Terms

  • "Stop the Bleeding"

    Far too many students in Philadelphia are not successfully completing their university degrees. A new program at Community College of Philadelphia involves high school freshman taking the equivalent of two years of college courses to obtain an associate's degree, while also obtaining their high school diploma. The hope is that this will encourage students to go on to complete their university degree.

    Read More

  • Training For A Better Life

    Overwhelmingly, individuals who have been incarcerated will spend the rest of their lives dragging in-and-out of prison, with few resources to help break the cycle and get them back on their feet. But one program called "New Leash on Life" stands out for helping dramatically slash recidivism rates for inmates in Pennsylvania prisons by teaching inmates to train and care for formerly "un-adoptable" rescue dogs, building empathy, job skills, and giving both human and dog a second chance at life.

    Read More

  • Meet the Disruptor: Quaker City Coffee

    Christian Dennis stood up in front of his class and told them about his life: He sold drugs, went to prison three times before the age of 18, and realized he had to start over. That’s all his classmate, Bob Logue needed to hear to realize he wanted Dennis to be his business partner. Together, they started Quaker City Coffee, a business they hope can “bridge the gaps between Philly neighborhoods.” How can they do that? By hiring former inmates, and giving back money to the community.

    Read More

  • The Hang Out Cure: Former Massachusetts Governor William Weld Has An Idea Local Politicians Need To Hear

    Rare are the days of cordiality towards opposing party politicians within American government. Specifically, a shift has occurred in which politicians no longer know each other, which can have detrimental effects on governing and deal-making. To this end, former Massachusetts Governor William Weld has recently promoted the importance of spending time with fellow politicians, in order to increase bipartisanship and function better in government. This is exemplified by his proposal and seven year old practice of “hangout sessions,” weekly meetings in which politicians with opposing viewpoints come together.

    Read More

  • Taking On Recidivism: Larry Platt speaks with Attorney General Josh Shapiro

    Pennsylvania's attorney general may sound more like a defense attorney as he lays out plans to focus more resources on helping people returning from incarceration integrate into society. But Josh Shapiro insists his approach is pragmatic and he helped launch a statewide re-entry council that coordinates efforts among 21 local coalitions and also brings in services providers and state agencies. The effort is using a comprehensive approach to address crime, including addiction treatment, housing and education.

    Read More

  • Furnishing A Future

    Furnishing a Future offers furniture making classes to former inmates. The program was created with the intention of giving former prisoners job skills, who often leave prison with no work experience. “If these guys are trained in how to make a resume, and how to make it outside, but have no skills, they’re just not going to get a job.”

    Read More

  • More Than Just Hope

    Prospects in Camden, NJ, one of the most impoverished and murder-ridden cities in the U.S., are finally looking up, particularly for its younger residents. This is in part thanks to Hopeworks, a nonprofit that provides Camden’s youth with employable skills while addressing childhood trauma and socioeconomic stresses. Having served 3,500+ people in their 17 years of operation, Hopeworks is now expanding its success story to Philadelphia, where they will implement a pilot program later this year.

    Read More

  • Philabundance Community Kitchen Turns Former Prisoners Into Chefs

    Facing social stigma as well as other effects of being incarcerated, Philabundance Community Kitchen is using culinary education to provide much needed services to those formerly incarcerated. Via cooking classes and other life skills classes, this program has helped over 600 previously incarcerated Philadelphians attain employment in the culinary field.

    Read More

  • I'm FREE, Prisoner Re-Entry Program for Women, Takes a New Approach

    “Female offenders are the largest-growing prison population.” Key to making sure women don’t return to prison are effective reentry programs like FREE, a program for female offenders. However, FREE isn’t like other programs. It focuses on exploring the root causes that lead woman to commit crimes through a method called “cognitive shifting.”

    Read More

  • Court Innovations' Matterhorn Allows People to Handle Court Cases Online

    Low-income people often miss out on court dates because they cannot afford to miss work or leave their children. Michigan and Ohio courts have incorporated the Matterhorn “online adjudication system” to handle simple cases so individuals can participate through the Internet. The system also offers the advantage of having “less bias” than in-person trials, because the race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status of the individual is protected online.

    Read More