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New York Just Gave Low-Income Tenants a Big Weapon in Housing Court: A Lawyer

Henry Grabar

July 21, 2017 |

Slate |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, New York, New York

"Nationwide, 90 percent of landlords have attorneys, but 90 percent of tenants do not." New York City is combating this inequality with a new law guaranteeing lawyers to defend low-income tenants in housing court. The goal: prevent unjustified evictions and keep people housed.

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The Right to Pre-Trial Justice for All?

Arielle Dreher

July 19, 2017 |

Jackson Free Press |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Jackson, Mississippi

The idea that someone should not languish in jail because they cannot afford bail is gaining more support around the country, including Mississippi thanks to a lawsuit challenging lengthy detentions of two men. In the lawsuit's wake the state's high court released rules of criminal procedure that grant a minimum bail bond if an initial hearing is delayed more than 48 hours. It also guarantees a right to legal representation early on in the legal process, a key factor in how long someone is in jail.

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Meet a new breed of prosecutor

Henry Gass

July 17, 2017 |

The Christian Science Monitor |

Multi-Media |

Over 3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Texas

Across the country, a small number of young prosecutors are changing the face of our current criminal justice system. They are moving away from the “strict law-and-order practices of the past,” and employing a more liberal approach: “eschewing the death penalty, talking rehabilitation as much as punishment, and often refusing to charge people for minor offenses.”

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Land-conflict mediation in the Great Lakes region

Maroussia Klep

July 11, 2017 |

Impact Storytelling |

Video |

3-5 Minutes

Response Location: Rwanda

In the Great Lakes region of Africa, land disputes can escalate to violence. Subsistence agriculture is the dominant source of income, making land precious, and as populations increase and refugees return home, property rights are not always clear. Search for Common Ground is reducing violence by training mediators to find peaceful ways of resolving these high-stakes conflicts.

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In Philly courts, whether they'll die in prison comes down to their birthday

Samantha Melamed

July 06, 2017 |

The Philadelphia Inquirer (Philadelphia Media Network) |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

A 2016 U.S. Supreme Court decision allows those sentenced to life for crimes committed as juveniles to seek parole. These people make up more than half of lifers in Pennsylvania, which is considering numerous appeals, but now those sentenced when they were slightly older are arguing the impulsivity and immaturity that makes juveniles less culpable are also present in the brains of those in their 20s. They are seeking to ensure the same legal rulings also apply to them and the legal system is trying to reconcile legal definitions of adulthood with evolving brain science.

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Pennsylvania offers a new 'smart on crime' approach. But does it actually work?

Samantha Melamed

June 26, 2017 |

The Philadelphia Inquirer (Philadelphia Media Network) |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States

In an effort to reduce prison populations, some U.S. cities are enacting reforms that emphasize short, swift, and certain punishments for minor violations. Despite the hype, such reforms may be no better than existing practices.

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Nueces County ditches juvenile boot camp for new approach

Krista M. Torralva

June 23, 2017 |

Corpus Christi Caller Times |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Nueces County, Texas

In Nueces County, Texas, military-style boot camp was the norm for troubled juveniles, who were forced to complete drills that simulate ROTC with instructors. The newly named Robert N. Barnes Region Juvenile Facility began replacing this antiquated method with therapeutic support and yoga relaxation techniques focus on the psycho-social health of troubled juveniles. The facility serves as a model of what boot camps could become.

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How Prisoners' Family Members Can Assist Overworked Public Defenders

Maura Ewing

June 05, 2017 |

The Atlantic |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Norristown, Pennsylvania

Public defenders' caseloads are too large for them to be able to provide the details that a loved one of an offender can provide in court. Participatory Defense programs train loved ones of the offender to be able to provide a testimony, often resulting in less severe sentences.

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When Your Child Is a Psychopath

Barbara Bradley Hagerty

June 01, 2017 |

The Atlantic |

Text |

Over 3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Madison, Wisconsin

Children are typically diagnosed with callous and unemotional traits rather than psychopathy, so they are rarely treated properly for the mental condition even though most of these children grow into adult psychopaths. A juvenile treatment facility in Madison, Wisconsin, called Mendota takes in young men who have committed violent crimes and attempts to rehabilitate them in a non-traditional prison system. They have lower rates of re-offending than regular prisons and some of their inmates are able to function normally in society upon release.

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Criminalizing Homelessness

Kenny Jacoby

June 01, 2017 |

Eugene Weekly |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Eugene, Oregon

In Eugene, Oregon, the city – much like the rest of the United States – has often practiced ticketing, citing, and/or arresting individuals as a response to homelessness. The practice, often referred to as the criminalization of homelessness, is now being called into question by groups across the city. Since the police are often the initial responders to people experiencing housing insecurity, the city is trying responses like community outreach to better address the needs of these individuals instead of writing them a ticket or sending them to jail.

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