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 Ex-Prisoners, a Haven Away From the Streets

http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/01/17/for-ex-prisoners-a-haven-away-from-the-streets

Tina Rosenberg

The New York Times

17 January 2011

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Newly released prisoners often return to crime from lack of effective re-introduction programs. The Fortune Society in New York is a group home which offers resources and positive peer pressure to the ex-prisoners as they start over.

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.

Former Black Panther Launches Oakland Urban Farm to Give Ex-Prisoners a Fresh Start

http://civileats.com/2015/09/09/former-black-panther-launches-oakland-urban-farm-to-give-ex-prisoners-a-fresh-start

Sarah Henry

Civil Eats

9 September 2015

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After incarceration, Black men and women have a difficult time re-integrating into society without financial and educational resources. A former Black Panther activist has created the non-profit Oakland &the World Enterprises to offer an urban farm as a prisoner re-entry program and community center. The Oakland project supports self-sufficiency, self-determination, and empowerment for Black people.

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.

Obamacare in Jail: How San Francisco Policy Helps Inmates

http://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/2014/04/30/how-san-francisco-inmates-and-prisoners-benefit-from-obamacare

April Dembosky

KQED

30 April 2014

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Health insurance sign-ups made available to all inmates at the San Francisco county jail, partnered with guidance from a clinic once they are on the outside, allows them to receive better care upon release, and may help prevent a return to crime and substance abuse.

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.

Out of Jail, and Into a Job

http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/03/28/out-of-jail-and-into-jobs

Tina Rosenberg

The New York Times

28 March 2012

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Most programs to cut recidivism don’t significantly reduce rates of repeated arrests or incarceration, but one called the Center for Employment Opportunities that started in New York City is making a dramatic dent. The program provides newly-released prisoners with transitional services - most significantly, distinct working crews where they can be constructively monitored and learn teamwork - effectively helping keep them out of jail and transition back into society.

Removing the Roadblocks to Rehabilitation

http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/01/21/removing-the-roadblocks-to-rehabilitation

Tina Rosenberg

The New York Times

21 January 2011

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The prison system is designed to fail - and it does. On the positive side, there are programs all over the country that recognize that helping prisoners remake their lives is both humane and cost-effective.

Prison Born

http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2015/07/prison-born/395297

Sarah Yager

The Atlantic

1 July 2015

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More women are being incarcerated around the United States and that has spurred more institutions to create prison nurseries, which allow women to be with their newborns. It's not a new idea, but it's finding support among prison advocates as well as budget hawks because research shows nurseries can lower recidivism rates among mothers. The idea of children in prison remains controversial however.