Artwork stating 'Education Destroys Barriers', 'We Demand Treatment', and 'I Need A Chance'

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  • Ecuador legalized gangs. Murder rates plummeted.

    When faced with a rise in gang violence, Ecuador tried an approach that was in complete opposition to "zero tolerance," the methodology America has been attempting to use to tackle the problem. Rather than target gang members as wrongdoers, the country "allowed the gangs to remake themselves as cultural associations that could register with the government, which in turn allowed them to qualify for grants and benefit from social programming."

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  • The woman in search of Indian Country's missing

    Native individuals and members of groups like Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women have taken it into their own hands to find members of their communities who have gone missing. Recognizing that decades-old legislation often under-prioritizes tribal lands, indigenous populations have turned to grassroots efforts and social media to form their own search parties – and are seeing results.

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  • As Alabama grapples with solitary confinement, other states offer blueprints for change

    The use of solitary confinement, or administrative segregation, in prisons is facing pushback across the country. In Alabama, a federal judge tasked the Department of Corrections to investigate how other states are reforming their use of solitary confinement – especially for those with mental health concerns. Recognizing that isolation often leads to increased bad behavior, states such as North Dakota and Colorado have placed stronger limitations on the use and deployment of administrative segregation.

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  • To catch sex traffickers and protect kids, Colorado is using a new screening tool statewide

    In Colorado, a state law requiring the use of a screening tool is being used to combat sex trafficking at the individual level. The screening tool identifies and offers support and protection to victims of sex trafficking – many of whom are runaways from the foster care system – and has led to multiple prosecutions of sex traffickers.

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  • Border communities refine tactics to deal with onslaught of fentanyl overdoses

    On the United States’ southern border, law enforcement are changing how they address drug overdoses. In places like Nogales, AZ, police are taking a public engagement approach, seeking to work with citizens to prevent overdoses, especially from fentanyl-laced drugs. They’re connecting more with the community, using foot patrol and knocking on doors, to gain more insight into the problem and how to prevent it.

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  • A Public Space That Commemorates Victims of Gun Violence

    Towns and cities across the countries have grieved the loss of life due to gun violence in various ways, including temporary memorials like t-shirts and shoes, exhibits, and ceremonies. But in New Haven, Connecticut, one mother has drawn from her own experience mourning in nature by setting up a permanent memorial garden to honor victims of gun violence. The memorial garden is also meant to be a call to action, to draw attention to the high levels of gun violence in the United States.

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  • A 360 Approach

    Across the United States, more and more cities are treating gun violence like a public health issue – seeking to take preventative, rather than reactionary, measures. Programs like Savannah’s Youth Intercept and Philadelphia’s Healing Hurt People, connect victims of violence with intervention services, like counseling, housing security, education services, and substance abuse treatments. The approach, while widely backed by data and research and being deployed in many cities, has run into issues like funding government support.

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  • 'Nobody was born bad'

    Chattanooga’s Violence Reduction Initiatives used a focused deterrence strategy to reduce crime. The initiative has led to a decrease in gang-involved homicides and shootings, working with individuals on probation to provide them with the social services they need to stop them from re-entering a life of crime. A core part of this method is to show communities that they’re not forgotten and that they’re cared for, and yet securing funding and consistent support for such programming has been challenging.

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  • Hope for the Future

    In Tennessee, reducing gun violence means intercepting it at the earliest level possible. By creating prevention programs for the state’s young population, they’re able to not only decrease rates of violence, but decrease prison populations and thus state costs as well. Programs like Youth ChalleNGe and various Family and Development Centers work with at-risk youth to provide them with the guidance, support, and empowerment they need.

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  • Cautiously Optimistic

    Small and large cities around the United States have their own ways of deterring gun violence, from heavier police presences, to community engagement efforts, to public health approaches. An ongoing and similar challenge for these cities is pinpointing where the most effective change is coming from. In cities like Chattanooga, Savannah, and Philadelphia, each one has seen some impact from their work, but without ongoing evaluations, proving and thus sustaining the successful programming is challenging.

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