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‘A Light for Me in the Darkness': For Migrant Detainees, a Bond Forged by Letter

Liz Robbins

February 07, 2019 |

The New York Times |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, San Diego, California

For migrant detainees in San Diego County's Otay Mesa Detention Center, a recent letter writing campaign from participants at nearby San Diego State University has brought a small form of hope and courage. The university library released hundreds of letters between detainees and university participants, which served to humanize the immigration debate. “In the U.S. our tendency is to really dehumanize migrants,” said Kate Swanson, another geography professor at San Diego State. “We put them in these concrete boxes. This helps them become visible.”

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Wiggin Street students learn through play

Katie Ellington

February 07, 2019 |

Mount Vernon News |

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Under 800 Words

Response Location: United States, Mount Vernon, Ohio

Global Play Day for schools is exactly what it sounds like: a full day of supervised but unstructured play. Teachers and scientists say that this kind of play encourages creativity and helps build social skills that kids need like problem-solving and flexibility. Students at Wiggins Street Elementary School play in all classes, including gym and music.

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Black Lives Matter Is Making Single Moms Homeowners

Zenobia Jeffries

February 05, 2019 |

Yes! Magazine |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Louisville

In West Louisville, the local Black Lives Matter is working and crowdfunding to buy homes for low-income single mothers and and transient families - and offering homeowner, where the only expense is taxes and utilities, to those who might not otherwise have the opportunity to own their homes. The organization hopes to address the the historical and institutionalized racism that has made homeownership a distant dream for many African Americans in the highly segregated city.

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Staying Connected: Moms Who Pump in Prison

Malcolm Burnley

February 04, 2019 |

Next City |

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Over 3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Riverside Correction Facility in Philadelphia has implemented a program that allows incarcerated new mothers the opportunity to both learn about the benefits of maintaining breast milk supply, and also provide it for their newborns. The lactation program not only carries significant health benefits for the infant and mother, but also encourages crucial bonding between the two.

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Jail or Bail? There's a New Option

Ted Alcorn

February 01, 2019 |

The New York Times |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, New York, New York

Between the opposite extremes of jailing too many people unnecessarily before trial or releasing too many unsupervised, New York City judges in 2016 began to use a "supervised release" option. In the first three years, the program's 11,000 defendants showed up for court dates 89% of the time while 8% were rearrested for new felony crimes. The program, which requires people check in regularly with a case manager, helped reduce the jail population by more than a third. The approach tries to balance the needs of public safety with the reality that even a short jail stay carries its own social harms.

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Justice by the Numbers: Meet the Statistician Trying to Fix Bias in Criminal Justice Algorithms

Katia Savchuk

February 01, 2019 |

Pacific Standard |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, New York

Algorithm-based tools are more frequently being used by courts to determine the risk of an alleged offender so judges can better determine whether the person should be detained or not before trial. Although this methodology has shown promise, there are serious limitations when there is not enough data or biased data. One non-profit is working to change this by reevaluating the limitations and advocating for the release of individuals being unjustly detained.

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Building the Prison-to-School Pipeline in California

Zoe Sullivan

January 28, 2019 |

Next City |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Berkeley, California

Providing those experiencing incarceration with educational services has shown to reduce recidivism by 28%. While many prisons offer GED or higher education classes, the opportunities are still hard to come by consistently, so organizations like Underground Scholars help recruit individuals after prison to colleges. Looking forward, those pushing for criminal justice reform hope to overturn a 1994 legislation that banned incarcerated individuals from being eligible for Pell Grants, which could help drive more people from prison to school.

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What a medical school on a Rwandan hilltop can teach the United States

Sarah Karlin-Smith

January 27, 2019 |

Politico |

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Over 3000 Words

Response Location: Rwanda, Butaro

In rural Rwanda, a new medical university is offering coursework that understands that health care and health outcomes are deeply intertwined with issues of discrimination and equity. Classes include in-depth looks at history and social justice, and teach the students the skills they need to treat patients in rural areas, without high-tech machines and abundant resources.

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First of its kind refugee-owned sewing group launches in Chicago

Sehar Sufi

January 25, 2019 |

Borderless Magazine |

Multi-Media |

Under 800 Words

Response Location: United States, Chicago, Illinois

Blue Tin Production Co-operative taps into the sewing talents of immigrant and refugee women in Chicago by offering a living wage to produce work for designers and eventually their own clothing line. The program also offers trauma-informed yoga, legal services, child care, transportation, and language translation to fully support the women. It is the first of its kind and is currently raising money for supplies, but already has produced "life-changing" results for the women's purpose and self-confidence.

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The inspiring thing that happened when a Japanese village went almost waste-free

Alex Gray

January 21, 2019 |

World Economic Forum |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Japan, Kamikatsu, Shikoku

Kamikatsu, a small Japanese village on an island, is on track to become a zero-waste village. The community is made up of only 1,700 residents and—through a combination of community conversations and sorting the waste to be profitable—they managed to keep more than 80% of their waste out of landfills and incinerators. On top of the environmental impact, the Zero Waste Academy brings together a largely-elderly population as a group focused on a mission and has led to an increased sense of community and well-being.

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