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New York City's Bail Success Story

Eli Hager

March 14, 2019 |

The Marshall Project |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, New York, New York

Around the country, states like California, New Jersey, and Maryland are implementing legislation that eliminates the cash bail system. While this is one way of addressing that system’s growing unpopularity, New York City has recognized a different approach. By taking advantage of a growing cultural shift in how individuals think about bail, jail time, and criminal justice reform at large, the city has seen an organic decrease in the use of cash bail within courtrooms and judges’ decisions.

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A different kind of court: How a Miami judge pioneered a new way of handling minor human trafficking cases

Rikha Sharma Rani

March 07, 2019 |

The Montgomery Advertiser |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Miami, Florida

Human trafficking has become an increasingly prevalent problem, especially in states such as Florida that host a large tourist population. To better serve the victims, Miami-Dade County has created a trauma-focused court that directs adolescents to support services rather than prostitution charges.

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‘Scrap it, start fresh, and think:' What Milwaukee can learn from New York City on housing young offenders

Allison Dikanovic

March 06, 2019 |

Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

As Wisconsin’s Milwaukee County seeks to transform how it handles young offenders, it looks to New York City as a model for change. In New York, the city has shifted its focus from large, state-run facilities to community-based programs and secured, residential homes. Milwaukee County weighs the lessons learned from this initiative and seeks to re-evaluate the services and long-term effects of its criminal justice programming.

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How Tech Helped San Francisco Clear 9,300 Marijuana Convictions

Rachel Kaufman

February 26, 2019 |

Next City |

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Under 800 Words

Response Location: United States, San Francisco, California

Using an algorithm designed by Code for America, the city of San Francisco has been able to identify and start the process of expunging almost 10,000 marijuana-related convictions. While the initiative has faced some opposition, the city’s District Attorney asserts that convicted individuals should be given dignity and respect by not have to carry the weight of crime for something that’s no longer illegal.

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What Colorado can learn from “red flag” gun laws in other states as lawmakers debate passing their own version

Anna Staver

February 25, 2019 |

The Denver Post |

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Under 800 Words

Response Location: United States, Denver, Colorado

Around the country, a dozen states have passed “red flag” gun laws. These laws allow officials to temporarily take away legally owned guns from individuals who are deemed either at-risk of suicide, or a danger to others. Colorado is the most recent state to introduce a similar law to legislation, and if passed would allow law enforcement to initially seize guns for 14 days while a judge hears the case.

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Special Courts for Veterans Languish

Joseph Darius Jaafari

February 19, 2019 |

The Marshall Project |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Washington, District of Columbia

Veterans treatment courts were developed in 2008 as a way for veterans to receive mental health counseling and substance abuse treatment rather than face incarceration. Created to address the mental health concerns that can lead to drug abuse and other issues, the courts have not seen the successes that were originally anticipated. Due to little demand, inconvenient locations, and mixed results, experts are calling into question the existence of such specialized courts.

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Overhaul of Utah's public defender system ‘a huge benefit' for Juab County

Annie Knox

February 02, 2019 |

Deseret News |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Nephi, Utah

In 2016, the state of Utah took control over the funding model for individual county's legal defenders in order to better use resources. Thanks to the restructuring, in just a year, counties have seen noticeable increases in both manpower and budgets which not only betters the public defenders, but also those they're defending.

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Justice by the Numbers: Meet the Statistician Trying to Fix Bias in Criminal Justice Algorithms

Katia Savchuk

February 01, 2019 |

Pacific Standard |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, New York

Algorithm-based tools are more frequently being used by courts to determine the risk of an alleged offender so judges can better determine whether the person should be detained or not before trial. Although this methodology has shown promise, there are serious limitations when there is not enough data or biased data. One non-profit is working to change this by reevaluating the limitations and advocating for the release of individuals being unjustly detained.

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Jail or Bail? There's a New Option

Ted Alcorn

February 01, 2019 |

The New York Times |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, New York, New York

Between the opposite extremes of jailing too many people unnecessarily before trial or releasing too many unsupervised, New York City judges in 2016 began to use a "supervised release" option. In the first three years, the program's 11,000 defendants showed up for court dates 89% of the time while 8% were rearrested for new felony crimes. The program, which requires people check in regularly with a case manager, helped reduce the jail population by more than a third. The approach tries to balance the needs of public safety with the reality that even a short jail stay carries its own social harms.

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The Art of Humanizing Social Systems

David Bornstein

January 24, 2019 |

The New York Times |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Massachusetts

For social service agencies, prioritizing well-being requires new procedures and a framework for understanding holistic wellness. The Full Frame Initiative has partnered with agencies in the states of Massachusetts and Missouri in an effort to bring categories of well-being into their purview. The Initiative uses five metrics—safety, mastery, social connectedness, and access to resources— to help align social systems, ranging from courts and juvenile corrections to homeless housing services, with social needs so that agencies can better assist their communities.

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