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From Australia to El Salvador to Vietnam, the environment is finally getting its day in court

Anna-Catherine Brigida

April 24, 2018 |

Ensia |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: El Salvador

Across the word, specialized environmental courts are being created to make sure the environment receives justice and protection against human destruction and exploitation. In the face of climate change, 44 countries across six continents have developed such courts, driven by a collective understanding of the intersection of human rights and the environment. While a seemingly major step toward justice, the new courts are hard to evaluate and have faced criticisms like bias and their impact in the larger context of climate change.

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Do wage theft laws in Ohio harm or help workers?

Olivera Perkins

April 15, 2018 |

Cleveland.com (The Plain Dealer) |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Cleveland, Ohio

Laws against wage theft can be effective if enforced. The probability of violations decreased in Ohio during a 13-month period of full enforcement, but rose again after the enforcement policy changed.

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The better way to support rape victims: put their needs first

Allison Griner

March 13, 2018 |

The Guardian |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States

While still a relatively new field, restorative justice is providing a way for some sexual assault survivors, and perpetrators, to make amends. Restorative justice is an approach to dealing with crime that involves the person that committed the offense to admit his or her actions and ask for forgiveness, then go through a set of actions to repair the crime, such as community service. Some victims and offenders are finding this a much more productive process than going through the criminal justice system. A peer-reviewed study “reported high rates of satisfaction with the process."

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Saving The Future, One Kid At A Time

Roxanne Patel Shepelavy

March 01, 2018 |

The Philadelphia Citizen |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

A program in Philadelphia created to divert students who get in trouble away from the juvenile justice system is poised to grow into the first Juvenile Justice Hub in the country with help from a competitive grant program through Bloomberg Philanthropies. The hub would be based on successful program created in the city's schools that has cut the number of kids arrested in half and is designed to address students' behavior by understanding the environment in which students live and connecting them to social services.

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A Year of Bail Reform in New Jersey

Brian Lehrer

February 21, 2018 |

WNYC |

Radio |

Over 15 Minutes

Response Location: United States, New Jersey

As New Jersey continues to reform its cash bail system, other states in the region look to it as an example. The state developed an algorithm called the Public Safety Assessment that considers an individual’s likeliness to appear for their court date and whether they pose a risk of committing another crime and presents these findings and corresponding recommendations to a judge. Since the reforms have been in place, the state has seen a 20% decrease in the pre-trial jail population and an overall decrease in crime.

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Some court systems are texting people to get them to show up. Could it work here?

Matt Rocheleau

February 18, 2018 |

The Boston Globe |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, New York, New York

When a defendant misses a court date, it can lead to more severe charges for the defendant, more work for justice professionals, and difficulties for people involved in the case such as witnesses. In order to decrease the amount of missed dates, New York City has began texting people providing a reminder about the time and location. While the large percentage of people who own cell phones make this a cheap and—as early results has shown—effective tool, the spread of the idea is hampered by a lack of cell phone numbers on file.

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After Unthinkable Loss

Sarah Conway

February 05, 2018 |

City Bureau |

Text |

Over 3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Chicago, Illinois

A healing circle in Chicago brings together women who have lost their children through violence or incarceration to give one another support through the grieving process. It's part of an overall move toward restorative justice in Chicago, but is the only peace circle in the city devoted exclusively to mothers, who were often overlooked in outreach efforts, according to the nun who helped launch it. Many of the women cannot afford therapy and the group helps them avoid isolation.

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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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Is School-Discipline Reform Moving Too Fast?

Wayne D'Orio

January 11, 2018 |

The Atlantic |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, SeaTac, Washington

As the national education discussion has shifted away from zero tolerance discipline policies towards reduction of suspensions and the introduction of restorative justice tactics, some teachers and administrators say the change is happening too fast. Following the elimination of suspensions, at one school in Washington state, each year almost 13 percent of district staff left. Teachers cited lack of training and inconsistencies between standards and implementation in different classrooms as reasons for departing.

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