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In Vermont, Isolating Inmates Kept Covid at Bay, but at a Price

Danya Issawi Derek M. Norman

April 21, 2021 |

The New York Times |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Vermont

Vermont is the only state where no people incarcerated in prison died of COVID-19 in the first 12 months of the pandemic, and its infection rate is relatively low. The prisons took steps that other prison systems either didn't try or didn't do soon enough, including universal testing at least six times over the year; strict isolation of newly admitted prisoners for 14 days; occasional lockdowns of up to a month; early releases from prison; and keeping corrections officers housed separately from the community. The isolation measures hurt people's mental health, including one suicide and one attempt.

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Connections over controversy: criminal justice department and BSU team up to add BLM flag to display

Katarina Rothhorn

April 21, 2021 |

The North Wind |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Marquette, Michigan

Northern Michigan University's Black Student Union turned its unhappiness with the display on campus of a "thin blue line" flag into a series of deep and open conversations that led to a compromise and a new set of collaborations. The university's criminal justice department had put the flag on display. One BSU member approached the department chair to ask that it be removed. But that led to a long, respectful conversation, followed by meetings of students on both sides. A Black Lives Matter flag was added to the display and the two groups are planning a joint educational program on the issue.

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In Nation's Incarceration Capital, a New D.A. Is Freeing People From Prison

Katie Jane Fernelius

April 21, 2021 |

The Appeal |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, New Orleans, Louisiana

In his first months as the New Orleans district attorney, Jason Williams has pushed a prosecution-reform agenda that not only limits who gets sent to prison on the front end, but also takes a backward look at who should be let out of prison. Nearly two dozen people convicted by non-unanimous juries have been granted new trials. Some people have been granted early release from prison after conviction under unduly harsh sentencing laws that no longer will be enforced. Williams' ultimate goal is to restore community trust so that necessary prosecutions have community support.

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How one Chinatown curbs anti-Asian violence and unites a city

Francine Kiefer

April 20, 2021 |

The Christian Science Monitor |

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Over 3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Oakland, California

Anti-Asian hate crimes during the COVID-19 pandemic have sparked a movement nationwide to stand up against bias and to help protect those most vulnerable to attack, the elderly. In one of America's oldest Chinese enclaves, Oakland's Chinatown, Compassion in Oakland has attracted thousands of volunteers of all races and ethnicities to chaperone the elderly on their errands and to patrol the streets as additional eyes and ears for the police. Shopkeepers and residents feel safer. And, among the volunteer protectors, bridges are being built where tensions and rivalries have long existed.

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Raipur's pioneering transgender police constables

Anup Dutta

April 17, 2021 |

eNewsroom India |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: India, Raipur, Chhattisgarh

The state police in Raipur, India, is recruiting transgender candidates to its ranks for the first time. 13 out of the 97 trans women who applied were accepted to the program. The Indian transgender community faces severe discrimination which inhibits their ability to access professional opportunities.

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The invisible shield: how activists and lawmakers are breaking down qualified immunity, Part 3

Herb Boyd Damaso Reyes

April 15, 2021 |

New York Amsterdam News |

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Over 3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Colorado

The protests against police abuses in 2020 prodded numerous legislatures to challenge the legal doctrine of qualified immunity, which protects police officers from being sued for violating people's civil rights. Colorado's law, the first to pass, was a direct response to the protests, as was New York City's law. While one Colorado lawsuit has already been filed, the full effects of these laws and others in the pipeline won't be known for some time. Proponents say these changes won't transform police culture, but they are necessary precursors to making deeper changes.

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Inside New York City's Biggest Financial Relief Effort for Undocumented Immigrants

Kevin Duggan

April 15, 2021 |

Documented |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, New York, New York

New York City’s Mayor’s Office for Immigrant Affairs relied on help from 34 community groups to distribute a $20 million relief fund from the Open Society Foundation. The groups verified who needed the funds, and no personal information was required of the more than 24,000 people receiving aid. Membership in the organizations was not required, but limited resources made members more likely to receive aid. The limited transparency and private nature of the OSF fund served as a work around for a Trump-era executive order making it harder for immigrants receiving public assistance to get visas or green cards.

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No badges. No guns. Can violence interrupters help Minneapolis?

Martin Kuz

April 13, 2021 |

The Christian Science Monitor |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Minneapolis, Minnesota

MinneapolUS puts unarmed community members on Minneapolis streets to prevent street violence, part of the city's effort to redirect resources from the police to other crime-prevention efforts. Four teams of 20 to 30 members, many of them former gang members and formerly incarcerated, have intervened in beatings and potential shootings. They use a public-health approach pioneered by the organization Cure Violence, which has proven effective in other cities.

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LEGO ramps could improve access for Philadelphians in wheelchairs

Michaela Haas

April 13, 2021 |

The Philadelphia Citizen |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Germany, Hanau

An ingenious use of LEGOs has resulted in colorful wheelchair ramps around the German town of Hanau. The ramps are constructed using thousands of tiny LEGOs that are glued together and are able to withstand the weight of electric wheelchairs, strollers, and walkers. Although the ramps don’t comply with official building and safety codes, they’ve proven to be helpful and have remained in use in Hanau.

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Charlotte is taking a new approach to drug cases. It could change lives.

Devna Bose

April 13, 2021 |

The Charlotte Observer |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Charlotte, North Carolina

The Mecklenburg County district attorney stopped prosecuting non-violent, low-level drug cases to free up resources to handle a backlog of more serious cases that built up during the pandemic. The policy had the effect of freeing people from the permanent stain of a criminal conviction and offering them drug treatment as an alternative to punishment.

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