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

Text / 1500-3000 Words

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.

Excess, deprivation mark state prisons

http://www.ocregister.com/articles/prison-223376-time-most.html

Brian Joseph

Tony Saavedra

Orange County Register

2 September 2011

Text / 1500-3000 Words

The California prison system is overwhelmed after adopting tough-on-crime laws with no improvement. New York adopted more tolerant policies and has decreased the state's crime rate and its prison population.

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

Text / 800-1500 Words

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

Text / 1500-3000 Words

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.

In Iran, a Brotherhood of Doctors and Patients

http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/06/20/in-iran-a-brotherhood-of-doctors-and-patients

Tina Rosenberg

The New York Times

20 June 2011

Text / 1500-3000 Words

Two Iranian brothers worked as doctors to reform how Iran tackles HIV, moving the country toward the harm reduction approach. By providing clean needles and methadone, the doctors were able to lower infection rates, even in prisons.

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

Text / 1500-3000 Words

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.

Life & Liberty

https://www.deseretnews.com/interactive/2014/life-liberty

Lois M. Collins

Deseret News

10 November 2014

Text / 1500-3000 Words

Veterans who suffer from post traumatic stress disorder number about one-fourth of military personnel returning from Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts, roughly 500,000 veterans so far. Inmates in prisons nationwide train dogs as companions for these war veterans, providing a sense of healing for all.

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

Text / Over 3000 Words

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

Text / 800-1500 Words

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.

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

Text / 800-1500 Words

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.