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

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  • Mentoring program connects children of incarcerated parents with support

    In national discussions on incarceration, the conversation often focuses on the direct impact of services and reentry initiatives on the prisoner while forgetting to fully discuss the effects of these systems on families and friends, argues one Indiana University psychologist. A mentoring program in Indiana is reaching out to some of the 5 million U.S. children with an incarcerated parent by pairing students with professionals in the community.

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  • Police

    In Philadelphia, the 22nd District police department has adopted the Police Assisted Diversion program, or PAD. The program trains police officers to take a public health approach to addiction and substance abuse, giving those they encounter who need treatment the option to go through treatment rather than the criminal justice system. Besides helping those with substance abuse issues, the PAD program seeks to build trust between the community and the police through on-the-ground engagement efforts.

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  • Prison

    Across the country, prisons are incorporating “therapeutic communities” to help incarcerated individuals find the residential treatment they need. Substance abuse continues to be strongly linked to recidivism, and in an attempt to break that cycle, these therapeutic communities provide people with structured rehabilitation, counseling, and support as an alternative to traditional prison. Many are federally funded, but considering they’ve only recently gained traction, they still face issues like buy-in and capacity.

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  • Raising babies behind bars

    Nursery programs inside prisons are not common. The Decatur Correctional Center is one of the few in the country. Eleven years since its inception, “more than 90 women have gone through the Moms and Babies program.”

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  • The Connecticut Experiment

    A pilot program in Connecticut for young offenders matches them with older inmates as mentors who help them confront their pasts and the underlying reasons they’re in prison. They learn new life skills and personal money management as part of a growing trend to use neuroscience to inform incarceration of young adults. The program is based on prisons in Germany and two other states are setting up similar pilots, but no data is yet available on whether the approach reduces recidivism.

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  • From screaming and police to college in the fall, family says juvenile justice program 'saved son's life'

    Reaching out to juvenile offenders with support and services, rather than putting them in jail, reduces recidivism and can save public money. A program called Youth Villages is instrumental in helping youth offenders in Alabama build better futures for themselves, reaching about 50 young people every year. A bill that would have expanded this approach across the state was proposed but failed to pass before the end of the legislative session.

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  • A New Approach To Incarceration In The U.S.: Responsibility

    To stop recidivism, the Middlesex House of Correction and Jail is replicating life on the outside for inmates while they are still in prison. Designed for 18 to 24-year-olds, the program removes some aspects of prison life, such as constant surveillance and locked doors, and supports participants as they manage increasing responsibilities and obligations.

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  • Can mindfulness really end prison hatred?

    Kenya's prisons have a violence problem, oftentimes manifesting between the guards and the inmates. To combat the issue, a mindfulness training program is being piloted that aims to connect the guards and inmates on a more personal level through activities such as meditation, music and art.

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  • Kenya jail's 'mindful' scheme aims to bring sides closer

    In Kenya, prisons are rampant with violence, an overcrowded and harsh environment for people as they serve their sentences. To combat gang violence and heightened tensions between prisoners and guards, Kenya's largest maximum security facility has implemented a new program: mindfulness. The program helps prisoners and guards practice mindfulness and meditation, and ultimately helps to bridge the divide between the two factions.

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  • Meet the Judge Who Transformed California's Criminal Justice System

    Using the catalyst approach, Judge Thelton Henderson was able to reform California prisons. He employed courts to change bureaucratic systems, and was moved by the idea that if you “encourage everyone involved to buy into a solution.. long-term change will happen.” Coupled with court orders, Henderson oversaw lawsuits involving overcrowding and inadequate medical services in prisons. A move that led to statewide change.

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