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Norway: Recidivism Rates

Fi Glover Henrietta Moore Martha Lane Fox

January 30, 2018 |

BBC |

Radio |

Over 15 Minutes

Response Location: Norway

Prisons in Norway are designed to simulate life on the outside. Inmates are encouraged to work and get an education, and officers chat and do activities alongside them. Norway spends a lot of money per prisoner, but the system seems to contribute to the country’s low recidivism rates.

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Domestic Violence court offers alternatives, hope for future

Elizabeth M. Miller

January 22, 2018 |

New Mexico In Depth |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Albuquerque, New Mexico

In Albuquerque, New Mexico, a domestic violence court offers funnels perpetrators into programs that offer counseling and other services to address the root causes of their behavior. Its two tracks focus on first-time offenders to short-circuit any escalation into chronic abuse, as well as those with multiple domestic violence charges. Judges work closely with participants to encourage them and call them out when they aren't meeting their obligations, and recidivism rates among those who complete the programs are far lower than those who do not.

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Redemption for Offenders and Victims

Lara Bazelon

January 17, 2018 |

The American Prospect |

Text |

Over 3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Boston, Massachusetts

In Boston federal courts, select criminal defendants can participate in a restorative justice program called RISE (Repair, Invest, Succeed, Emerge) that delays sentencing while defendants engage in dialogue with crime victims, family, and others. The restorative dialogues are designed for a type of accountability unlike a prison sentence. Eligible defendants must admit their crime, have a history of addiction or other deprivation, and get jobs or attend school. By addressing the harms they have inflicted and the obligations they have to make things right, defendants can earn a more lenient sentence.

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Giving Building Materials and Ex-Inmates a Second Chance in Baltimore

Johnny Magdaleno

January 13, 2018 |

Next City |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Baltimore, Maryland

Ex-offenders who get re-entry training and job opportunities are significantly less likely to wind up back in jail. A manufacturer called Brick + Board in east Baltimore hires employees with histories of incarceration. The company helps ex-offenders while also giving construction materials a second life in new projects.

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What Can New York Learn from New Jersey's Bail Reform?

Beth Fertig

January 04, 2018 |

WNYC |

Radio |

3-5 Minutes

Response Location: United States, New Jersey

In 2017, New Jersey eliminated the cash bail system – meaning that potential offenders awaiting court could not be held in jail for money. Instead, judges use an algorithm that considers the individual’s criminal history, flight risk, and threat level to the community. As New York considers doing the same, it looks the impact it has made in New Jersey.

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How Texas' Harris County went from ‘capital of capital punishment' to zero executions

Henry Gass

December 27, 2017 |

The Christian Science Monitor |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Houston, Texas

In 2017, Harris County, TX saw a year where no one was sentenced to death and no one was executed. The county, nicknamed as the capital of capital punishment, is seeing a shift in the support of the death penalty. While studies haven’t shown a definitive answer, it has been linked to new, reform-focused DAs, the introduction of life sentences without parole, and Supreme Court decisions that likely diminished the use of capital punishment.

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Lifting Up Community Voices to Tackle Injustice

Jean Trounstine

December 26, 2017 |

Truthout |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Richmond, Virginia

This article uses the stories of five different activist women across the United States as examples of successes using the human-centered design strategy of centering the people most directly affected in the decision-making and healing process. The women work in a variety of justice areas (from housing equity to incarceration), but they all testify to a community justice model as being the most effective and empowering solution to past and current injustices.

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Bernalillo County partners with South Valley community programs to end racial and ethnic disparities in juvenile justice

Elizabeth M. Miller

December 26, 2017 |

New Mexico In Depth |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Albuquerque, New Mexico

A program in Albuquerque, New Mexico that successfully diverted young offenders from the criminal justice system still grappled with kids running away while under house arrest. This defeats the purpose of diversion since they can end up in jail, so county officials found another option for kids who might have chaotic home lives. They partnered with a community organization where kids can go if they need a safe space without violating their probation orders and learn skills like gardening and screen printing.

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Philly's Gang Violence Strategy Doesn't Work. Here's Why.

Maura Ewing

December 21, 2017 |

The Appeal |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

The "Focused Deterrence" approach to lowering gang violence was hailed as a success in Philly when shootings went down, but is that the whole story? The strategy is also receiving some notable critiques, including the claim that the social services and employment opportunities it claims to provide have been less than forthcoming.

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Lessons from Seattle: How this alternative to jail may be a solution for Utah

Erica Evans

December 20, 2017 |

Deseret News |

Text |

Over 3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Seattle, Washington

A program piloted in Seattle and now replicated in several cities nationwide aims to redirect low-level drug offenders into a case management system that can help them change their lives by connecting them with social services and advocating for their wellbeing. The program is called Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion, or LEAD, and police officers can direct people into it if they are suspected of having committed a drug crime.

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