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Emergency Preparedness for Prisons Isn't Just Sandbags and Non-perishables

Emma Coleman

November 02, 2018 |

New America Weekly |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, New Orleans, Louisiana

After Hurricane Katrina in 2005 stranded people incarcerated in the New Orleans jail without food or water, the city used the experience not to question its disaster preparedness but instead to rethink who needs to be incarcerated in the first place. By easing policies in cash bail and arrests for petty offenses, the city cut its jail population by two-thirds and replaced its flooded jail with one less than one-quarter the original size. The new policies helped inspire Louisiana to revise its sentencing standards in an effort to end its distinction for having the world's highest incarceration rate.

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Police are using artificial intelligence to spot written lies

Olivia Goldhill

October 28, 2018 |

Quartz |

Text |

Under 800 Words

Response Location: Spain

A tool is helping police across Spain identify false robbery reports. VeriPol uses textual analysis and machine learning to find suspicious reports. During the pilot project, the tool helped detect 64 false reports in one week, far more than usually detected.

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A movement for police accountability is on Nashville's November ballot

Margaret Littman

October 22, 2018 |

Scalawag |

Multi-Media |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Nashville, Tennessee

The killing of Jocques Clemmons, an unarmed black man that was shot by a white officer in Tennessee, became the catalyst that spurred a community to action. A community oversight board would be in charge of investigating police misconduct by the MNPD. Grassroots organizers, activists, and residents fulfilled the 4,000 signatures needed for a referendum vote on the board, and if approved would join a growing movement that is trying to address police shootings of unarmed black men. “More than 200 cities already have boards in place with varying degrees of success.”

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In A Drying Climate, Colorado's 'Water Cop' Patrols For Water Thieves

Luke Runyon

October 11, 2018 |

NPR |

Radio |

3-5 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Montezuma, Colorado

In Colorado’s water-scarce Montezuma County, having a designated law enforcement official for water conflict is necessary. Dave Huhn is a sheriff’s deputy specializing in water law, responding to 60-100 calls each month – most of which are about water theft. As the region becomes more arid, it also becomes more ripe for conflict, making those who know the intricacies of water law more necessary than ever.

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Professional Hand-Holders

Kyle Norris

September 17, 2018 |

Finding Fixes |

Podcast |

Over 15 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Washington

Washington’s Snohomish County has implemented a program that embeds social workers with the police. The program has been an effective method to bring services to people in need rather than arrest and process them as criminals.

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Reform Activists and a New DA Find Common Ground

Ruxandra Guidi

September 09, 2018 |

70 Million |

Podcast |

Over 15 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Houston, Texas

In Texas' Harris County, the state's most populous county, a grassroots collective of criminal justice activists contributed to a political shift that led to reforms in prosecutions, jails, bail, and policing. Inspired by the movement sparked by the death of Michael Brown in Missouri in 2014, groups such as Houston Justice and the Texas Organizing Project backed the election of a reform-minded district attorney, who turned toward community collaboration and away from tough-on-crime solutions. The new DA, plus favorable court rulings and state laws, softened the country's rough-justice reputation.

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Wander the Halls, Say Hello: A New Approach to School Safety

Eliza Shapiro

September 05, 2018 |

The New York Times |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, New York, New York

When Mayor de Blasio surveyed students at a forum following the Parkland shooting, almost none of them said they felt comfortable confiding in the security officer assigned to their school. This fall, New York City's public schools are piloting a restorative justice approach to school safety - safety agents, acting as "beat cops," are now expected to walk the halls, engage with students, and deescalate conflict. The initiative, still playing out, has been met with mixed reviews.

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Beyond the Stigma: Team goes door to door to help child victims of extreme trauma

Shawne K. Wickham

September 03, 2018 |

New Hampshire Union Leader |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Manchester, New Hampshire

In New Hampshire, Manchester police have teamed with community organizations to proactively offer services to children who have experienced or witnessed trauma, before those very children grow up to repeat the cycle. The Advert Childhood Experiences Response Team (ACERT) "has contacted more than 1,000 children in about 700 families" since its inception in late 2015.

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As Violence Soared in Mexico, This Town Bucked the Trend

Paulina Villegas

September 01, 2018 |

The New York Times |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Mexico, Morelia, Michoacan

One police commander in Morelia is trying to change the rampant mistrust Mexicans have of the police. The new commander implemented a set of new policies that shifted the focus of the police to low-level neighborhood crimes. “What we can do is deal with the issues that regular folks face every day.” Community meetings, allowing people to file complaints on the spot, and creating victim centers, are just some of the few things he did. And it worked: The number of crimes reported rose by 435, compared to the previous year.

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Can the Manufacturer of Tasers Provide the Answer to Police Abuse?

Dana Goodyear

August 27, 2018 |

The New Yorker |

Multi-Media |

Over 3000 Words

Response Location: United States

Data suggests that when an officer is wearing a body camera the likelihood that they will shoot a person decreases by as much as 60 percent. Axon Enterprises, which originally made a fortune from selling taser guns to police departments, started investing in body cameras back in 2006. Now, they are the largest manufacturer “holding contracts with more than half the major police departments in the country.” The company believes this technology will bridge the gap between lethal force and safety.

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