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

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  • The Hole

    One reason for the recent surge in heroin overdoses is the presence of fetanyl. A new harm reduction initiative focuses on testing heroin bought on the street for fetanyl and showing drug users how to test for themselves.

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  • Episode #1806

    Heroin purchased on the street is now commonly laced with fentanyl, a powerful narcotic, which has a much smaller lethal dose than heroin. Tino Fuentes spends his time in a place called "the hole" in the Bronx educating users about the dangers of fentanyl and testing their supply for this lethal drug with "fentanyl strips".

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  • Domestic Violence court offers alternatives, hope for future

    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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  • With Marijuana Now Legal, L.A. Goes Further to Make Amends for the War on Drugs

    After California legalized recreational use of marijuana, Los Angeles took the initiative even further to address the social and systemic inequity caused by the war on drugs of communities of color. The city undertook criminal justice reforms like clinics to help people expunge their records, and economic reforms like prioritizing those with past convictions to receive licenses to own and operate dispensaries. Furthermore, LA is practicing restorative justice by directing the tax revenue created by this sector back into the neighborhoods that were deeply affected in the past.

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  • Predicting Crime in Chicago

    What if a computer program could tell you who was at risk for shooting someone or being shot themselves? This is now a reality for Chicago Police Department. By piloting the use of this technology, and assembly a cohort of cops, social workers, ministers and moms to visit the names of those the computer names, the city has seen a decrease in violence over the last year.

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  • He overcame drug addiction. Now he works to save the lives of other addicts on the street

    The state of Utah passed legislation in 2016 that made Naloxone, a life-saving overdose reversal drug, available over the counter to non-medical personnel as part of an initiative to reduce opioid related overdose deaths. An organization called One Voice Recovery brings Naloxone kits to addicts in heavily drug addicted areas in an attempt to reduce harm. In addition, One Voice Recovery helps addicts who want to seek treatment get the help they need.

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  • Murder in America: What Makes Cities Safer

    Certain cities in the United States are facing startlingly high rates of homicide and violence that haven't been seen since the height of gang activity in the 1990s. But certain cities, including Los Angeles, have continued to see declines in or stable crime rates, thanks to a community-based policing approach that uses tactics such as working with former drug dealers, hosting neighborhood events, cleaning litter from the streets, and mediating sit-downs between formal gang rivals.

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  • Philly's Gang Violence Strategy Doesn't Work. Here's Why.

    The "Focused Deterrence" approach to lowering gang violence was hailed as a success in Philly when shootings went down, but is that the whole story? The strategy is also receiving some notable critiques, including the claim that the social services and employment opportunities it claims to provide have been less than forthcoming.

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  • Lessons from Seattle: How this alternative to jail may be a solution for Utah

    A program piloted in Seattle and now replicated in several cities nationwide aims to redirect low-level drug offenders into a case management system that can help them change their lives by connecting them with social services and advocating for their wellbeing. The program is called Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion, or LEAD, and police officers can direct people into it if they are suspected of having committed a drug crime.

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  • As shootings and homicides drop in Englewood, a new optimism grows

    In Chicago's Englewood neighborhood, a name long synonymous with violence and gang activity, a mix of robust, data-driven policing and community engagement reversed a spike in violence from 2016 to 2017 to a degree unmatched anywhere else in the city. A $1.5 million investment in the Strategic Decision Support Center enabled Chicago Crime Lab analysts working with police at the neighborhood level to pinpoint problems and respond quickly. At the same time, police took a less antagonistic stance toward residents. That and lowered violence produced healthier activities like block parties and job fairs.

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