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

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  • How Georgia Plans To Produce More High School Graduates

    In Georgia, about half of inmates don't have a high school diploma or GED. At Lee Airendale State Prison, a charter school offers inmates a chance to earn a high school degree. “The thing about the diploma is it’s from Foothills Charter High School so when they show it, it looks just like a diploma from any accredited high school," the regional coordinator said of the unique nature of the program.

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  • #FreeBlackMamas works to bail black mothers out of jail in time for Mother's Day

    Community organizing groups around the country have mobilized to get black mothers out of prison. The initiative #FreeBlackMamas has raised over $1 million dollars in donations since 2017 and comes as a growing response against the cash bail system. Besides bailing out black mothers, the groups seek to build community and address the larger systemic issue of race and incarceration.

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  • Changing How You Think Helps The Transition From Prisoner Back To Citizen

    For people reentering society after prison, the Reentry Initiative offers them the services and support they need. The program, housed at California State San Bernardino, provides former inmates the tools they need to avoid recidivism and rebuild their lives. Some of the classes offered are computer literacy, job readiness, and anger management – but fundamental to it all is cultivating a culture of respect and community amongst participants.

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  • Mississippi Leads the Nation in Criminal Justice Reform

    The state of Mississippi has taken drastic steps in reforming their criminal justice system, pointing to a nationwide cultural shift as a driving force. State legislation, such as expanding parole eligibility, eliminating mandatory minimum sentences, and barring licensing boards from discriminating against individuals who used to be incarcerated are just a handful of policies the state has championed. The reform has led to a prison population decrease of 11% and state savings of $46 million

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  • ‘Returning from the twilight zone': Home to Stay offers one-stop shop for those leaving prisons

    Home To Stay, a new collaborative program in Milwaukee, WI, brings together community-based organizations, government agencies, and private employers to provide outreach and services for formerly incarcerated individuals. Once a month, services like job recruiting, educational centers, and legal help come together under one roof to give those re-entering society an accessible place to receive the support they need.

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  • I Served My Prison Time. Why Do I Still Have to Pay?

    In 2018, San Francisco county forgave $32 million worth of criminal justice administrative fees. These fees are issued to formerly incarcerated individuals upon release from prison, most of which are not employed and without stable housing. The coalition pursuing this policy change cited economic justice for those that have already paid their societal debt and an overall state savings in collection costs as the primary reasons to end this practice.

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  • Incarcerated Men Write the Stories of Wall City

    Partnerships between those incarcerated and volunteers from the outside are crucial. Collaborations—such as the one between the Wall City magazine, the UC Berkeley, and the San Quentin Journalism Guild—make it possible for those incarcerated to have a voice. The publication of the newspaper not only informs discourse, it also serves as a way to help rehabilitate and reengage those behind bars.

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  • Yoga helps some Utah inmates find ‘the beauty and peace' while behind bars

    To reduce stress and anxiety and manage anger and addictions, prison facilities in Utah are introducing prisoner-taught yoga classes. Although not without its complications, such as limited resources, prison guards have reported a change in behavior and attitude amongst the inmates, inspiring funders to invest in expanding similar programs at other facilities.

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  • Coming home: How offender re-entry programs increase job placement and decrease recidivism

    Maine's only offender re-entry program for women in Windham is on its way to replicate the success of similar programs in Texas and Nevada. Federal justice research has shown that offenders that go through re-entry programs are less likely to reoffend and more likely to hold down a steady job. The Windham program works towards this through their education program that incorporates students from local colleges as well as utilizing a collection of best practices developed by similar programs.

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  • “What Does the World Beyond Jails and Prisons Look Like?”

    The Detroit Justice Center is providing a comprehensive approach to breaking the cycle of poverty in the county. The nonprofit law firm provides immediate support, like paying back child support and posting the cash bail payments that keep those experiencing poverty trapped in a cycle of debt and imprisonment. The group also aims high in their larger efforts to disrupt the criminal justice system, like suing the county to prevent the building of a new jail complex, and provides their clients and the community the chance to reimagine what the city could look like with transformative and economic justice.

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