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A Decade Of Diversion: Franklin County's Court For Sex Trafficking Survivors

Paige Pfleger

September 25, 2019 |

WOSU |

Multi-Media |

3-5 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Columbus, Ohio

Treating women who are coerced into human trafficking as victims provides opportunities for recovery. Alongside the passage of legislation against human trafficking in Ohio, Franklin County courts have implemented a recovery program. Changing Actions to Change Habits (CATCH), provides victims of human trafficking with support in the form of housing, food, and treatment for addiction and trauma. In exchange for participation in the program, women can have their records expunged.

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A College Education in Prison Opens Unexpected Path to Freedom

Vanessa Rancaño

September 21, 2019 |

CapRadio |

Radio |

3-5 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Long Beach, California

California is leading the nation in prison education. “There are now in-person community college classes in all but one prison in the state, enrolling some 4,000 students." Nationally, 4 percent of higher ed institutions teach for-credit classes in prisons. “It's been the most amazing experience of my entire life, as either a free man or as an incarcerated human being." Evidence shows that providing people in prison with education reduces recidivism rates. “A major study by the RAND Corporation found taking classes in prison cuts the chances of getting locked up again by 43%.”

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IMPD used to fatally shoot more people than NYC or Chicago. Here's what changed.

Casey Smith Ryan Martin

September 18, 2019 |

IndyStar (The Indianapolis Star) |

Multi-Media |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Indianapolis, Indiana

Under new leadership, Indianapolis has seen a drastic decline in fatal police shootings. While the new police chief, Bryan Roach, shares credit with his entire force, many credit his new policies for the decline. Initiatives like addressing behavioral health, implicit bias training, and mental health crisis training are just some of the changes being made. While much progress has been made, there is still a ways to go when it comes to rebuilding trust within the community.

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'FACT' teams aim to keep people with mental illness out of jail

Alisa Roth

September 18, 2019 |

MPR News |

Radio |

3-5 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Minneapolis, Minnesota

A Forensic Assertive Community Treatment (FACT) team tackles one of the toughest challenges at the intersection of mental health and criminal justice: how to help people whose mental illness has landed them in criminal trouble, without resorting to jail or brief hospitalizations. A Rochester, New York, program that showed promise in improving those odds by connecting people with needed services is now being replicated in Hennepin County, Minnesota. So far, about half of the 60 people in the program returned to jail. So it's only working for some people.

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With Kids' Futures at Risk, Schools Seek New Ways to Lower Chronic Absenteeism

Jennifer Palmer

September 17, 2019 |

Oklahoma Watch |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Tulsa, Oklahoma

Spurred by state changes, an elementary in Tulsa, Oklahoma has transformed its approach to chronic absenteeism, adding frequent positive reinforcements for good attendance and building strong relationships with students to get to the root of attendance issues. “This is a solvable problem as long as people keep in mind," the executive director of Attendance Works said. "The solutions take time to unpack and address what’s keeping kids from coming to school.”

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Two Rural Counties Take Diverting Paths to Jail Reform

Laine Kaplan-Levenson

September 16, 2019 |

70 Million |

Podcast |

Over 15 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Alamosa, Colorado

Two southern Colorado counties responded differently when drug abuse, poverty, and mental illness contributed to overcrowding in their old, decrepit jails. Pueblo County's sheriff has gone to voters three times seeking approval of a near-doubling of his jail's capacity. Alamosa County's sheriff did the same, and succeeded in a renovation that nearly doubled capacity. But those extra cells turned out to be unnecessary because that county's criminal justice and community agencies collaborated on jail alternatives, significantly reducing how many people get jailed.

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The Courtroom of the Future Looks a Lot Like This Navajo Tradition

Monica Humphries

September 10, 2019 |

NationSwell |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, New York, New York

Brooklyn’s Red Hook Peacemaking Program, part of the Red Hook Community Justice Center, is bringing together individuals in conflict to practice restorative justice. The program accepts cases coming through various courts, schools, and personal references, and brings together families, friends, and adversaries to participate in moderated, peacebuilding discussions. Seeing over 100 cases each year, the program has decreased recidivism rates and spread to other cities in New York.

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Jeffrey Epstein's Death Highlights Inmate Suicide Problem

Max Blau

September 10, 2019 |

Stateline |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Atlanta, Georgia

After several high-profile suicides at various prisons throughout the U.S, ten states have enacted new policies for jails and prisons in order to intervene before it's too late. From enhanced suicide prevention training to more comprehensive intake regiments to abolishing solitary confinement practices, states across the nation are learning how to prioritize mental health care for inmates.

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Where Texting Brings People to Court

Jenny Casas

September 09, 2019 |

70 Million |

Podcast |

Over 15 Minutes

Response Location: United States, West Palm Beach, Florida

In Palm Beach County, an automated system sends text-message reminders, instead of just postal mail notices, to people with upcoming court dates. About 14% of those jailed in the county were there on warrants for failure to appear in court, placing a burden both on the system and on people's disrupted lives. Since the system was started, warrants for failure to appear are down by more than half, although other factors are also at play. At the very least, every court appearance someone makes is one less public cost and private hassle.

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The psychiatrist helping mentally ill people left to wander India's streets

Anne Pinto-Rodrigues

September 09, 2019 |

The Guardian |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: India, Mumbai

In India, many people suffering from undiagnosed mental illnesses end up wandering on the streets, but a Mumbai psychiatrist is addressing the problem by treating their illnesses and reuniting them with their families. The psychiatrist, who started a foundation with his wife to tackle this issue, houses and treats the patients at a residential treatment centre, and then the foundation's social workers reunite them with their loved ones.

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