Anchorage Daily News
12 June 2014
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Barrow, Alaska, United States
People affected by fetal alcohol syndrome disorder are more likely to be convicted. In Alaska, one court provides convicts with FASD counselors and patience, making the court system more equitable and hoping to reduce recidivism.
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/special-courts-take-on-criminal-cases-of-veterans-struggling-with-trauma
Spencer Michels
PBS NewsHour
24 February 2015
Broadcast TV News / 5-15 Minutes
Veterans are at a higher risk for getting in trouble with the law, especially those with PTSD. San Francisco city defendants and the VA created a special veterans court which prosecutes veterans through treatments and helping them work back to a normal life.
http://news.yahoo.com/a-separate-justice-system-emerges-for-veterans-174400942.html
Liz Goodwin
Yahoo! News
30 June 2014
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U.S. courts are offering war veterans who face jail time the choice of rehabilitation. This helps them adjust to civilian life and reduces repeat offences.
http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/01/08/for-drug-users-hope-in-a-swift-response
David Bornstein
The New York Times
8 January 2013
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In Vermont, a judge and a family services organization created RapidReferal – a process which offers addicts treatment immediately and has lowered recidivism. Funded by Medicaid, the program has had demonstrable impact, namely, a decrease in recidivism.
http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/10/13/for-teen-offenders-hope-in-a-jury-of-their-peers
Tina Rosenberg
The New York Times
13 October 2011
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For first-time youth criminal offenders, the traditional American jury falls short in encouraging behavioral change and may even set the juvenile on a course for repeated crimes. Washington, DC’s Youth Court is a jury that tries juveniles for minor non-violent offenses and offers peer pressure to prompt positive behavioral change. The DC Youth Court is one of many in the United States that reduces crime and future court costs.
http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/05/29/guiding-poor-families-to-a-fair-day-in-court
David Bornstein
The New York Times
29 May 2015
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Millions of families of arrested individuals do not know what to do to help, how to obtain a lawyer, or what the process entails in the court system. Created by Albert Cobarrubius Justice Project, participatory defense is a type of community organizing that teaches and empowers people who face criminal charges. Individuals know how to work with attorneys in order to navigate the system and ultimately feel equipped to become drivers of their own change.
http://www.cosmopolitan.com/politics/news/a36907/prisoners-reentry-programs
Jean Friedman-Rudovsky
Cosmopolitan
25 February 2015
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A Department of Justice study reported that about 75 percent of those released in 2005 were rearrested, and women prisoners often have a harder time re-entering society after release. A New Way of Life (ANWOL) is a Los Angeles transitional living facility that has helped more than 750 women stay out of prison by offering housing, case management, mental health and substance treatment, and job training.
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/12/upshot/how-to-cut-the-prison-population-see-for-yourself.html
Erik Eckholm
The New York Times
11 August 2015
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Prisons in the United States are overcrowded with many non-violent offenders and the cost to keep them in jail consumes public budgets. Criminal justice reform has attracted bipartisan interest with diverse proposals to aid adjust the incarceration rate. The Urban Institute has developed an interactive “prison population forecaster,” which helps citizens to assess the impact of different policies.
http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/06/09/out-of-prison-into-a-vicious-circle-of-debt
Tina Rosenberg
The New York Times
9 June 2011
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Many offenders get out of jail owing hundreds or thousands of dollars in court and parole fees but face barriers to financing and job acquisition, sticking them in a punitive, vicious cycle of debt and arrest. A program called the Clapham Set, perhaps paired with conditional cash transfers - may be a solution, as it erases fees for felons who complete rehab and job training upon release.
http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/06/06/paying-for-their-crimes-again
Tina Rosenberg
The New York Times
6 June 2011
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Felons get out of jail owing hundreds or thousands of dollars in court and parole fees, acting as an often insurmountable barrier preventing them from reintegrating into society and staying out of jail. What's worse, these fees often end up costing the state more than they produce. Two columns on a program called the Clapham Set, which erases or reduces debts for felons who take classes and job training.
http://www.wsj.com/articles/a-simple-fix-for-drunken-driving-1439564251
Keith Humphreys
Wall Street Journal
14 August 2015
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South Dakota’s “24/7 Sobriety” initiative breathalyzers tens of thousands of people every day in an effort to curb drunk driving. Rather than legislation that takes penalizes offenders by taking away their license, the state addresses the behavioral issue instead. In counties that use the “24/7 Sobriety,” they’ve seen a 12% decrease in repeat drunken-driving arrests.
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