Special courts take on criminal cases of veterans struggling with truama

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.

Criminal courts tailored to veterans multiply as wars wind down

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.

For Drug Users, a Swift Response Is the Best Medicine

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.

For Young Offenders, Hope in a Jury of Their Peers

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.

Guiding Families to a Fair Day in Court

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.

How Former Prisoners are Set up to Fail, Especially if They're Women

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.

How to Cut the Prison Population (See for Yourself)

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.

Out of Prison, Into a Vicious Circle of Debt

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.

Paying for Their Crimes, Again

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.

A Simple Fix for Drunken Driving

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.