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

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  • How people in Illinois prisons lead peer-led civics education courses on voting rights

    Since 2020, more than 250 people incarcerated in Illinois prisons have been trained as peer-educators to lead civics education courses that focus on the history of voting, the logistics of voting, and the nuances of government. So far roughly 6,000 people have completed the program, which emphasizes that they are eligible to register to vote immediately after their release.

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  • Planning Parenthood for Incarcerated Men

    Planned Parenthood of Orange and San Bernardino Counties hosts workshops for incarcerated youth to teach them about sexual wellness, as well as the elements of healthy relationships, consent and the consequences of toxic masculinity. The workshops educate young men so they can have the knowledge they — and their partners — need to have better health outcomes. The workshops began in 2013 and expect to reach about 300 incarcerated teens and young men by the end of June as they continue expanding.

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  • New Jersey Ditched Cash Bail. Research Shows the Reform Didn't Increase Violence.

    New Jersey voters approved an amendment that removed cash bail so people would no longer be incarcerated because they couldn’t afford to pay it. Now, the courts evaluate each person’s risk to the public, of skipping trial, and of reoffense to determine whether they are held in detention until their trial.

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  • A mother's calling: Inside the fight to make prison phone calls free

    Advocates in Connecticut worked with the nonprofit Worth Rises to successfully campaign for a law that made phone calls and emails free in the state’s prison system. Expensive communication was a barrier for people who are incarcerated and their families, often impacting their mental health, relationships, and financial well-being.

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  • Inside Vermont's Radical Approach to Helping the Formerly Incarcerated Succeed

    Vermont built volunteer-led Circle of Support and Accountability groups into its reentry system to help keep those who’ve committed sexual crimes from reoffending. The volunteers meet with people who were formerly incarcerated weekly to offer advice, encouragement, and support while they transition into life outside of prison.

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  • At Monroe prison, dog training reshapes lives of humans, canines alike

    A nonprofit that provides service animals to people with disabilities for free works with people who are incarcerated in Washington to train the dogs, giving them a positive way to spend their time and gain useful skills. Trainers help them teach the dogs new tasks every week.

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  • Illinois Ended Cash Bail. Now Reformers Want More Support for People on Pretrial Release.

    The Community Release With Support program provides wraparound services to people on pretrial release by connecting them with housing support, employment services, and education programs, as well as helping participants make their court dates. These services have become even more vital since Illinois passed the Pretrial Fairness Act to eliminate cash bail requirements. Roughly 3,000 people have participated in the support program, which has connected 1,000 people with employment services, more than 740 with education programs, and more than 250 with housing support.

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  • 'Transformative': More college programs are slowly coming into prisons

    The United States Department of Education made federal Pell Grants available to college students who are incarcerated to help cover school expenses. This spurred the development of new prison education programs and partnerships with colleges.

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  • Incarcerated trans women won sweeping prison reforms in Colorado. It could be a model for other states.

    Case lawyers for a lawsuit filed in 2019 worked with Colorado officials to create a settlement with a legally binding agreement that requires the state to make its prisons safer for transgender women and provide medical care to all transgender people who are incarcerated.

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  • Kentucky Program Supports Inmates With Substance Use Disorder

    First Day Forward provides support and assistance to people with substance use disorders who are reentering the community after incarceration in seven rural counties. The program is driven by peer-support specialists who have lived experience to provide trusting support to those seeking assistance. The program has been shown to work as the recidivism rate for those who’ve successfully completed it has dropped to 23.5%, compared to 53.2% in a nearby county.

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