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These Dogs Are Giving Inmates a Paws-itive Path Forward

Joseph Darius Jaafari

July 26, 2018 |

NationSwell |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Bedford Hills, New York

Training inmates to raise service dogs can benefit everyone involved. Inmates gain skills and a sense of purpose, and the dogs go on to help wounded veterans and first responders. “I’ve been here for years,” says a security guard at Bedford Hills Correctional Facility where Puppies Behind Bars started. “And let me tell you, this is like no other program. It really works.”

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When prisoners own the store, everyone profits

Anne Hillman

July 25, 2018 |

Alaska Public Media |

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3-5 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Seward, Alaska

A unique setup at Spring Creek Correctional Institution means that inmates get to work at the prison’s store, and profits get reinvested into the prison. The arrangement benefits those who work at the store as well as those who have access to buy items. Having the chance to buy quality goods is a way to empower inmates, as well.

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The radical sheriff giving offenders a chance

Jamiles Lartey

July 23, 2018 |

The Guardian |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Florida

A sheriff in northern Florida is helping break the cycle of incarceration by working to change how communities and law enforcement interact. The effort includes mentoring children of incarcerated parents, linking the department to the many religious institutions in the town and incorporating religion into jail programs, and connecting offenders to job opportunities. Over Morris Young’s tenure, juvenile arrests have dropped drastically and far fewer inmates are being sent to the state prison.

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The Citizens Project

Jill Harkins

July 23, 2018 |

The Philadelphia Citizen |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, New Haven, Connecticut

In New Haven, a two-decades long experiment in giving community to and promoting empowerment for people who have been in the criminal justice system or mental health treatment services has shown a decrease in drug use and an increase in general quality of life. The idea - that people who have isolated/alienated by a system need to be empowered as citizens to successfully re-integrate - is taking hold in other cities, including Philadelphia.

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A View of Tomorrow

Nicole Lewis

July 18, 2018 |

The Marshall Project |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

More states eye virtual reality to help inmates, jailed since they were teenagers, adapt to a very different world. Since a Supreme Court decision mandated the release of nearly 2,000 inmates sentenced as juveniles to life without parole, states have grappled with how to prepare them, and Pennsylvania turned to VR. Colorado followed suit and others are interested in the potential, but critics warn much more is needed to help juvenile lifers navigate the world as adults.

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Bail reforms moving slowly in Missouri

Eddie Roth

July 13, 2018 |

The Marshall Project |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, St. Louis, Missouri

Under a large grant St. Louis County is working to reduce jail confinements in the aftermath of the Michael Brown shooting, following several national models. There is also progress toward reducing fines and fees for small issues, with a focus on addressing racial disparities in arrests. But the efforts face challenges that include thousands of outstanding warrants under the old system and a shortage of public defenders.

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You've Served Your Time. Now You're Told You Can't Cut Hair.

Ashley Nerbovig

July 10, 2018 |

The Marshall Project |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Pennsylvania

A number of states have passed reforms aimed at helping people coming out of incarceration get licenses that are key to well-paying jobs, which in turn help people stay out of prison. But there are still numerous hurdles in other states around criminal histories and background checks that keep people with felony records from entering those professions. Those requirements have cost the economy nearly three million jobs according to one report, and disproportionately affect people of color.

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Why this couple's wedding registry was devoted to paying off Philly kids' court costs

Samantha Melamed

July 10, 2018 |

The Philadelphia Inquirer (Philadelphia Media Network) |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

A couple created a nonprofit in Philadelphia to make micro grants for those who need small amounts to pay off medical bills or legal fees so they can move on with their lives. The effort garnered modest donations, including through their own wedding registry, and has made about 10 grants, but those have had significant impacts on recipients. The two acknowledge this is more like a bandaid, so they also partnered with a policy organization to work on wider systemic change.

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New prison unit opens to help young female inmates

Clarice Silber

July 09, 2018 |

The Connecticut Mirror |

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Under 800 Words

Response Location: United States, East Lyme, Connecticut

Connecticut’s women's prison launched a new unit in 2018 devoted to rehabilitation and reintegration. It’s based on prisons for young offenders in Germany, which the state's governor and the head of corrections visited, after which they worked with the Vera Institute of Justice to design one for Connecticut. The women’s unit follows the opening of a similar program for young male offenders where they are mentored by older inmates and receive counseling and education to reduce recidivism.

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Initiative seeks to interrupt prison pipeline, help kids of incarcerated parents

Maudlyne Ihejirika

July 09, 2018 |

Chicago Sun-Times |

Multi-Media |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Chicago, Illinois

The former director of the Cook County Department of Corrections will have the chance to go upstream in the incarceration cycle to work with children of people who are incarcerated through a new fellowship program launched by a Chicago nonprofit. The Leadership Venture program will allow her to research what's working most effectively in supporting the children of those in prison and jail. The idea is to find and share best practices and disrupt the cycle of incarceration.

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