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Veterans Courts Give Soldiers a Way Back

Heidi Shin

September 02, 2018 |

70 Million |

Podcast |

Over 15 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Boston, Massachusetts

When military veterans get charged with crimes, more than 350 courts nationwide exist to try to keep them out of jail, with rehabilitation as the chief goal. Boston Veterans Court provides people with social workers, outreach specialists, access to therapy, and help in going to school, finding a job, and dealing with life's stresses. Many people in this system come home from war struggling with anger, trauma, and substance abuse problems. Some studies have quantified veterans courts' success rates for helping people overcoming mental illness and staying out of criminal trouble.

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How 'the incarceration capital of America' embraced criminal justice reform

Frank Carlson William Brangham

August 31, 2018 |

PBS NewsHour |

Broadcast TV News |

5-15 Minutes

Response Location: United States, New Orleans, Louisiana

After years of being the incarceration capital of America, Louisiana began changing its laws in 2017 to cut the number of people in prison, prompting a drop of seven percent in the prison population and savings of $12 million. The funds will be reinvested in education, job training and other programs in prisons and jails for those about to be released. But many challenges remain, including stigma from employers and landlords, and skepticism by the state's attorney general.

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How the Formerly Incarcerated Support the Formerly Incarcerated

Zoe Sullivan

August 30, 2018 |

Next City |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, New Orleans, Louisiana

A nonprofit launched by formerly incarcerated men in New Orleans addresses some of the immediate challenges people face in the first 72 hours coming out of prison. The First 72 offers them a place to go, which can be a serious problem for those with records, as well as support and mentorship. There is also a small business incubator that some returnees have used to turn their side hustles into small businesses with plans to grow and employ other former felons.

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Restoring Ex-Convicts' Voting Rights

Nina Sparling

August 29, 2018 |

WhoWhatWhy |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Tuscaloosa, Alabama

A digital tool called Restore Your Vote launched in the summer of 2018 to help ex-convicts understand their voting restoration status after re-integrating into society. The initiative, which has been piloted in Alabama, aims to reduce disenfranchisement in ex-convict communities by targeting unclear language, misinformation, and lack of access to education.

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Big Tech's Newest Experiment in Criminal-Justice Reform

Alexis C. Madrigal

August 29, 2018 |

The Atlantic |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, San Francisco, California

Building on the Last Mile program that teaches inmates to code in some California prisons, Slack launched an apprenticeship program for the formerly incarcerated. It's a small initiative compared to the vast need, but organizers hope other companies will join the effort. While Last Mile graduates have stayed out of prison, it's been challenging for them to find actual coding jobs and critics say the effort does not addresses systemic issues around incarceration.

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New Jersey Bails Out

Joel Rose Keith Romer

August 29, 2018 |

NPR |

Radio |

Over 15 Minutes

Response Location: United States, New Jersey

Although California has become the first state to eliminate the cash bail system, New Jersey has been using an algorithm for the last 18 months to combat the economic injustice created by the system. This bail reform, which looks at risk assessment on a scaled level, has successfully resulted to less people in prison as well as decreased crime rates.

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Locals Divided Between Diversion and Border Security

Jesse Alejandro Cottrell

August 26, 2018 |

70 Million |

Podcast |

Over 15 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Tucson, Arizona

Pima County, Arizona, eased its jail overcrowding with reforms that reduced the jail population by 400 people. Its Community Collaborative put key players from the criminal justice system, plus formerly incarcerated people, on a team that created programs to divert cases from incarceration to treatment, screen people to detain fewer people before trial, and a new court to reduce the problems working people had in making court dates. A new jail was no longer needed. But a federal border program that gave the county incentives to make needless arrests undercut some of those reforms.

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The prison-to-college pipeline

Mel Jones

August 26, 2018 |

Washington Monthly |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, New Jersey

The "New Jersey-STEP" program enables inmates and formerly incarcerated individuals to use Pell Grant dollars towards a degree at several in-state schools. Unlike most other prison-to-college initiatives, STEP allows students to transfer credits earned during incarceration. And it's also a plus for universities - schools like Rutgers are benefiting from more tuition dollars at a time when many are experiencing decreasing enrollments.

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How the Smallest State is Defeating America's Biggest Addiction Crisis

Erick Trickey

August 25, 2018 |

Politico |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Cranston, Rhode Island

Inmates at Rhode Island prisons are given the option to participate in a program that provides doses of methadone or other medication to help them break free of opioid addictions, even after leaving prison. The medically-assisted treatment is part of a comprehensive plan to fight opioid addiction in Rhode Island and it's showing results, with 61% fewer fatalities from overdose for recently incarcerated people from last year.

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Cameroon initiative helps young violent offenders become ‘prisonpreneurs,' peace builders

Barbara Borst

August 16, 2018 |

Civic Ideas |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Cameroon, Buea

To give young people in prison hope and a second chance, a new organization known as Creative Skills for Peace attempts to teach inmates about entrepreneurship and job training, as well as civic education and peacebuilding. Achaleke Christian Leke, the founder, hopes to create “prisonpreneurs.” Whether teaching them to make crafts or run greenhouses, Creative Skills for Peace is empowering inmates to empower others.

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