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

Search Results

You searched for: -

There are 1320 results  for your search.  View and Refine Your Search Terms

  • Restorative Justice: Healing Instead of Incarceration

    Prosecutors in Brooklyn and Bronx divert some violent crime cases away from traditional courts to a program called Common Justice, which gives victims a greater say in the outcome – an outcome chosen by 9 out of 10 victims served by the agency because it provides a more healing alternative to the incarceration that has caused so many social problems in their neighborhoods. Through restorative justice dialog between victims and those who harmed them, agreements are forged whereby the responsible party will atone for his crime through restitution, community service, or other means.

    Read More

  • An alternative to police: Mental health team responds to emergencies in Oregon

    In Eugene, Oregon, the Crisis Assistance Helping Out on the Streets (CAHOOTS) initiative is providing a police-free response to mental health crises in the community. The mobile mental health unit responds to calls involving individuals with mental health issues, are trained in de-escalation, and provide in-the-moment services like transportation or access to wrap around services. These types of services have become more popular, with cities around the country piloting them.

    Read More

  • NYC: Where the Police Offer a Free Art Class Instead of Prosecution

    Since 2015, Project Reset has diverted potential criminal cases to programs that change behaviors without imposing punishment or staining people's records with criminal convictions. Art classes, behavioral therapy, and restorative dialogue have made 16- and 17-year-olds in the program significantly less likely to commit new offenses, while 98% of those admitted to the program have completed it. Offered in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Bronx, the program helped the Manhattan district attorney nearly cut in half the number of prosecutions of low-level misdemeanors and violations.

    Read More

  • Cook County Jail Program Helping Prevent Opioid Overdose Deaths By Providing Released Inmates With Naloxone

    After recognizing that just-released inmates were more likely to overdose on opioids, Cook County Jail partnered with Cook County Health to train at-risk detainees how to administer Naloxone nasal spray. This program also provides released detainees with Naloxone kits, and has recorded significant success from this process.

    Read More

  • In Cahoots: How the unlikely pairing of cops and hippies became a national model

    Long before CAHOOTS became a national model for replacing police on some 911 calls with mobile crisis-response teams of medics and counselors, it represented an "odd marriage of police resources and counterculture philosophies." The acronym for Crisis Assistance Helping Out On The Streets is in fact a sly reference to White Bird Clinic's hippies "in cahoots" with cops. But the police have long since made their peace with the service, which spends a tiny fraction of what it costs to run Eugene's police department while handling a large share of non-violent crises involving homelessness and mental health.

    Read More

  • How Germany averted an opioid crisis

    Unlike the U.S., Germany has avoided an opioid epidemic by implementing regulations around when the drug is administered to patients that includes alternative treatments, special permission and screening for risk to addiction. For those that are being treated for drug addiction, their approach is centered on harm reduction strategies which has also shown greater success than the U.S.'s model of punishment.

    Read More

  • Needle exchanges

    The Tacoma Needle Exchange in Washington doesn't only provide a place for a clean needle exchange but also provides Narcan and fentanyl test kits to those who visit the white van for new syringes. Although the approach is still controversial at the federal funding level, studies have proven that this practice decreases the spread of infectious diseases.

    Read More

  • From Hoarding to Healing in California

    Hoarding can be a symptom of depression or an outlet for trauma, and was forcing low-income seniors out of housing in California. To address this, researchers collaborated with various agencies and organizations to offer an approach that offers both mental health help and public assistance.

    Read More

  • Treating PTSD

    Various therapies have shown promise in treating post-traumatic stress disorder, especially for those also suffering from chronic pain or addiction. One method, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, helps those suffering from PTSD address painful memories that may be at the root of their pain and addiction too.

    Read More

  • Where are the overdose prevention centers Cuomo promised?

    Overdose prevention centers, common in Europe and Canada, give drug users a place to inject drugs safely. Though U.S. laws make them challenging to run, many have appeared in various states, including in New York. A yearslong attempt to institutionalize the practice in New York has been blocked by Gov. Andrew Cuomo, despite clear evidence that lives are saved when drug users have clean needles and safe spaces to use, and where overdoses can be treated immediately.

    Read More