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Piece of the Puzzle: Drug Courts Expand Across State

Anna Berry

April 17, 2019 |

New Hampshire Bar News |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Concord, New Hampshire

The New Hampshire Drug Court system – helping individuals find rehabilitation rather than prison – has proven to be a success and expanded to counties across the state. The court follows best practices from the National Association of Drug Court Professionals, but also adapts each court to fit the needs of each local community. Since its creation in 2004, over 400 people have graduated from its programming – over 50 percent of its participants.

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Independence police finding new ways to tackle homelessness

Kevin Holmes

April 16, 2019 |

KSHB-TV |

Broadcast TV News |

3-5 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Independence, Missouri

The Independence, Missouri police department is taking an empathy-first approach to homelessness in the city. Instead of making arrests for trespassing or other crimes associated with homelessness, police officers work with the individuals to provide them with the resources they need to get back on their feet.

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A tale of two cities: What Baltimore can teach Arizona about fighting fentanyl overdoses

Austen Bundy

April 16, 2019 |

Cronkite News - Arizona PBS |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Baltimore, Maryland

In 2018, Baltimore passed a harm-reduction bill that allowed the distribution of fentanyl testing strips to assess if fentanyl has been laced into drugs. The decriminalization of these follow similar harm reduction trends that allow for the distribution of safe syringes and naloxone. While proving effective in reducing drug overdoses, because such stigma is attached to addiction, states like Arizona are hesitant to implement such measures, even as advocates and experts call for it.

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Graffiti punished by reading - 'It worked!' says prosecutor

Emma Jane Kirby

April 16, 2019 |

BBC |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Ashburn, Virginia

After graffitiing a historic landmark with swastikas and racist phrases, a juvenile prosecutor chose to educate rather than punish the perpetrators. Each teen was given a list of 35 books that covered topics like race, religion, and culture, and they had to pick 12 and do monthly assignments for a year. The books included titles like, I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings, by Maya Angelou, and Night, by Elie Wiesel. After the year, the learning opportunity given to the teens showed demonstrable success.

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Restoring Prisoners' Access to Education Reduces Recidivism

James McWilliams

April 16, 2019 |

Pacific Standard |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Hawaii

A piece of bipartisan legislation was introduced to the United States’ Senate in February 2018 that would give individuals in incarceration access to Pell Grants, thus increasing their college education opportunities. While the bill was not enacted, it is part of an ongoing process of reinstating access to Pell Grants for prisoners from the Obama administration, who gave limited access in its Second Chance program. This bill speaks to the largely bipartisan cultural shift that embraces the need to invest in correctional education in order to prevent recidivism.

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The Doorway is open in NH, and hundreds are walking in

Shawne K. Wickham

April 14, 2019 |

New Hampshire Union Leader |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Manchester, New Hampshire

Thanks to a federal grant, New Hampshire has implemented a “hub-and-spoke program” that connects those facing addiction problems with resources to help them. Acting as a single access point, the organization takes walk-ins and phone calls and offers screenings, assessments and referrals.

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Jury of their peers: Youth court aims to keep students out of criminal justice system

Ron Allen

April 13, 2019 |

NBC News |

Broadcast TV News |

Under 3 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Newark, New Jersey

In Newark Youth Court, the common mistakes and misbehavior of childhood lead to a trial in which all of the participants are high school students, and the outcomes center on second chances and atoning for wrongdoing through community service and decision-making classes. The court, which hears about 100 cases per year, serves as an alternative to pushing allegations of minor fights, vandalism, and truancy into the justice system, where punishment falls most heavily on youth of color and can wreck lives without solving the discipline problems.

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How Norway designed a more humane prison

Gina Barton Christophe Haubursin

April 12, 2019 |

Vox |

Video |

3-5 Minutes

Response Location: Norway, Halden

Halden Prison in Norway has re-designed itself so that the look and feel of prison life isn’t an added punishment to restricted freedom. Designers took into consideration the role campus design plays in promoting or disrupting guard-inmate relations and created a campus that promotes community rather than violence and isolation. Also included was landscaping, more natural light, and the use of softer materials, like glass and wood, instead of metal and brick.

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LeBron James Opened a School That Was Considered an Experiment. It's Showing Promise.

Erica Green

April 12, 2019 |

The New York Times |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Akron, Ohio

One year after LeBron James' I Promise School opened its doors, its students, picked for being some of the worst performing in Akron, Ohio, have shown significant improvement on district assessments. I Promise is funded like other public schools, but also benefits from an additional $600,000 from the James' foundation for more teaching staff, after-school programs, and a family resource center with G.E.D. preparation and career counseling. Teachers say these add-ons have been the key to the school's early success.

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By Forgiving Warrants and Fines, Communities Give People a Fresh Start

Keith Griffith

April 09, 2019 |

Yes! Magazine |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, New Orleans, Louisiana

Stand With Dignity, a grassroots, community organizing group in New Orleans, has coordinated warrant clinics for those driving with suspended licenses. These clinics have forgiven $2 million worth of traffic fines and reinstated licenses for hundreds of individuals, in the hopes of breaking the cycle of unpaid fines, which is often a driver of unemployment and poverty.

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