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Restoring Prisoners' Access to Education Reduces Recidivism

James McWilliams

April 16, 2019 |

Pacific Standard |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Hawaii

A piece of bipartisan legislation was introduced to the United States’ Senate in February 2018 that would give individuals in incarceration access to Pell Grants, thus increasing their college education opportunities. While the bill was not enacted, it is part of an ongoing process of reinstating access to Pell Grants for prisoners from the Obama administration, who gave limited access in its Second Chance program. This bill speaks to the largely bipartisan cultural shift that embraces the need to invest in correctional education in order to prevent recidivism.

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DAs Have This Blueprint for Rethinking Criminal Justice

Emily Nonko

March 28, 2019 |

Next City |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, San Francisco, California

Formerly incarcerated individuals, community leaders, and members of San Francisco’s District Attorney’s office, have joined forces to create a collaborative advisory board. The board meets to share re-entry challenges and successes, discuss the DA's work, and develop a deeper understanding of systemic crime in the city. From conversations about mental health to poverty, members are helping create new policies and opportunities for those still incarcerated.

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In Chicago, one mosque charts its own path

Aysha Khan

March 26, 2019 |

Religion News Service |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Chicago, Illinois

Masjid al-Rabia, a small mosque on the third floor of in a co-working space in downtown Chicago, is making waves as an untraditional prayer space. Not only is it woman-centered (not led), but their services are made accessible to all genders, sexualities, abilities, classes, etc. The mosque also has a focus on prison outreach, sending care packages with prayer rugs, prayer caps, Qurans, newsletters, and other spiritual literature to over 500 Muslim detainees in jails, prisons, detention centers, and institutions across the country.

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

Melissa Brown

March 24, 2019 |

The Montgomery Advertiser |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Montgomery, Alabama

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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Ypsi-based program aims to restore dignity for women giving birth while incarcerated

Sarah Rigg

March 06, 2019 |

Concentrate |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Ypsilanti, Michigan

The Michigan Prison Doula Initiative seeks to provide pregnant women experiencing incarceration the support and care they need to maintain physical and mental health before, during, and after giving birth. The initiative has partnered with the Michigan Department of Corrections to start work in one prison – with the hopes of expanding to others – by providing prenatal counseling, support during birth, and postpartum visits.

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Scrubbing The Past To Give Those With A Criminal Record A Second Chance

Eric Westervelt Barbara Brosher

February 19, 2019 |

NPR |

Radio |

5-15 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Indiana

Indiana's Second Chance law was passed in 2013 and allows people to petition to remove their misdemeanor convictions and arrests from public view. In Marion County alone, more than 11,500 people have visited the full-time paralegal processing all requests since legislators implemented the law. Many of those visitors speak with relief about the newfound opportunities that have come their way since the dismantling of that barrier. This is part of a growing movement in the US to reimagine the existing criminal justice system that creates far more problems than it solves.

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Staying Connected: Moms Who Pump in Prison

Malcolm Burnley

February 04, 2019 |

Next City |

Text |

Over 3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Riverside Correction Facility in Philadelphia has implemented a program that allows incarcerated new mothers the opportunity to both learn about the benefits of maintaining breast milk supply, and also provide it for their newborns. The lactation program not only carries significant health benefits for the infant and mother, but also encourages crucial bonding between the two.

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Justice by the Numbers: Meet the Statistician Trying to Fix Bias in Criminal Justice Algorithms

Katia Savchuk

February 01, 2019 |

Pacific Standard |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, New York

Algorithm-based tools are more frequently being used by courts to determine the risk of an alleged offender so judges can better determine whether the person should be detained or not before trial. Although this methodology has shown promise, there are serious limitations when there is not enough data or biased data. One non-profit is working to change this by reevaluating the limitations and advocating for the release of individuals being unjustly detained.

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Building the Prison-to-School Pipeline in California

Zoe Sullivan

January 28, 2019 |

Next City |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Berkeley, California

Providing those experiencing incarceration with educational services has shown to reduce recidivism by 28%. While many prisons offer GED or higher education classes, the opportunities are still hard to come by consistently, so organizations like Underground Scholars help recruit individuals after prison to colleges. Looking forward, those pushing for criminal justice reform hope to overturn a 1994 legislation that banned incarcerated individuals from being eligible for Pell Grants, which could help drive more people from prison to school.

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How One County Became a Lab for California's Prison Reform

Abbie Vansickle Manuel Villa

December 21, 2018 |

The Marshall Project |

Multi-Media |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, California

After San Joaquin County adopted a slew of criminal justice reforms, crime dropped by 20 percent, the lowest number in a decade. One of the things that was implemented were speciality courts aimed at decreasing arrest time and helping “former prisoners find jobs, housing and treatment for mental health and addiction problems.” Other measures include ending cash bail and racial bias training. “Crime has always been issue No. 1, but the narrative in this city is one about being a second chance city.”

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