Story Search Results

Advanced Search

There are so many ways to search the solutions journalism stories in this database. Explore our searchable fields:

Search Results

You searched for: -

There are 414 results for your search. View and Refine Your Search Terms

Can Española Valley High School crack down on truancy?

Andrew Martinez

October 15, 2016 |

Rio Grande Sun |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Española, New Mexico

To improve its consistently high truancy rates, last academic year Española Valley High School implemented a new truancy and dropout prevention program aimed at shaping up poor attendance. The results are yet to be determined — but debate still rages within the school about the best method for battling truancy.

Read More
Go to Original Story
King County tries counseling, self-reflection instead of jail for teens

Claudia Rowe

October 15, 2016 |

The Seattle Times |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Seattle, Washington

Restorative justice, a process that originated in New Zealand, aims to repair damaged relationships rather than merely meting out punishment. It can be far more demanding than a traditional route through court, but for juvenile offenders like those in King County, who are statistically likely to get stuck in a cycle of crime after a first prison sentence, the alternative to incarceration may provide a constructive path forward.

Read More
Go to Original Story
Court Innovations' Matterhorn Allows People to Handle Court Cases Online

Stephen St.Vincent

October 12, 2016 |

The Philadelphia Citizen |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Ann Arbor, Michigan

Low-income people often miss out on court dates because they cannot afford to miss work or leave their children. Michigan and Ohio courts have incorporated the Matterhorn “online adjudication system” to handle simple cases so individuals can participate through the Internet. The system also offers the advantage of having “less bias” than in-person trials, because the race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status of the individual is protected online.

Read More
Go to Original Story
Getting Tried as an Adult Means a Longer Sentence

Sarah Gonzalez

October 10, 2016 |

WNYC |

Radio |

5-15 Minutes

Response Location: Germany, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania

In the U.S., some people who are convicted as minors can spend their whole lives in prison. German prisons offer a solution: shorter sentences and a focus on reducing crime once people reenter society.

Read More
Go to Original Story
Germany has a different approach, better results

Sarah Gonzalez

October 10, 2016 |

WNYC |

Radio |

5-15 Minutes

Response Location: Germany, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania

In the United States, minors are often tried and sentenced as adults, leading to traumatizing circumstances and high recidivism. In Germany, minors cannot be tried as adults and are put in prisons that double as farms, aiming to mirror the outside world.

Read More
Go to Original Story
Guards with Helmets vs the Jolly Lumberjack

Sarah Gonzalez

October 10, 2016 |

WNYC |

Radio |

5-15 Minutes

Response Location: Germany, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania

Germany's system of shorter sentences for minors and correctional officer training focused on rehabilitating prisoners could become a model for juvenile detention in the U.S., where guards are currently trained in firearms and self-defense.

Read More
Go to Original Story
Getting Tried as an Adult Depends on Skin Color

Sarah Gonzalez

October 10, 2016 |

WNYC |

Radio |

5-15 Minutes

Response Location: United States, New Jersey

Many minors, especially those who are black or hispanic, are tried and sentenced as adults. A new New Jersey law requires minors to at least begin their sentence in juvenile facilities, but there are still problems.

Read More
Go to Original Story
Highline district struggles with fallout after limiting student suspensions

Claudia Rowe

September 10, 2016 |

The Seattle Times |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Seattle, Washington

The Highline school district in Washington implemented a radical strategy to break the school-to-prison pipeline based on mounting data that suspensions push students into a cycle of violence and delinquency. However, theories of replacing punitive measures with counseling and academic triage have proven difficult to translate from idea to practice, and teachers have resigned over fear for their safety. But one teacher at Pacific Middle School found a way to make the approach work, and the district is promising to scale his model, determined to meet their original objectives and reach kids that need help.

Read More
Go to Original Story
In Uganda, Fostering a World without Adoption

Kathryn Joyce

September 06, 2016 |

Bright Magazine |

Text |

Over 3000 Words

Response Location: Uganda

In Uganda, where international adoptions and orphanages are the most present form of child welfare, nonprofits like Reunite, Alternative Care Initiatives-Uganda, and CALM Africa are shifting the country to a welfare model focused on family reunification and community-based foster care. Although pilot programs are still small, there is also a focus on closing technical loopholes and providing practical support to encourage foster care programs.

Read More
Go to Original Story
Youth Judge Fights School-to-Prison Pipeline

Sierra Mannie

August 31, 2016 |

Jackson Free Press |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Pascagoula, Mississippi

In Pascagoula, a youth court judge observed a high number of youth stuck in the system. The judge reached out to local schools, discouraging them from involving law enforcement in minor incidents that put juveniles into a vicious cycle of detention and jail. Instead, the judge encouraged educators to get more involved in constructive mediation and intervention.

Read More
Go to Original Story