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He stole a $1 lemonade, smoked pot - then nearly had to die in prison

Samantha Melamed

September 27, 2017 |

The Philadelphia Inquirer (Philadelphia Media Network) |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania has a compassionate release law for inmates who are terminally ill so they don't die in prison, but in practice it has become even more difficult for inmates and their families to take advantage of it. The number of elderly prisoners in the state has soared. Advocates recommend prisoners get an automatic compassionate release when they receive a terminal diagnosis so the family is not burdened with trying to figure out the complex process and paperwork.

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Let down and locked up: Why Oklahoma's female incarceration is so high

Ziva Branstetter

September 20, 2017 |

Reveal |

Text |

Over 3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Tulsa, Oklahoma

Oklahoma currently locks up more women than any other state in the country, incarcerating females at more than double the national rate, and harshly deals out ever-longer sentences to prisoners, disproportionately targeting poor women and those of color. Tulsa is the one exception, thanks to a charitably-funded, intensive programs like The Education and Employment Ministry and Women in Recovery, which combine shorter prison terms with rehabilitative treatment and supportive probation, including drug addiction recovery, employment assistance, and life skills classes.

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Lancaster knows how to keep people out of jail, but it's expensive

Bobby Allyn

September 14, 2017 |

WHYY |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Lancaster, Pennsylvania

Officials around Pennsylvania who want to reduce recidivism are studying a re-entry program in Lancaster that gives former inmates intensive case management to help them return to society. That includes transitional housing, job interview clothing and workshops on things like personal finance and interviewing skills. It also addresses the small slips that often send someone back to jail by putting the fees many former prisoners owe on hold for six months and helping them tackle bureaucratic challenges that can seem daunting.

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Meet the Disruptor: Quaker City Coffee

Annie Mcdonough

September 06, 2017 |

The Philadelphia Citizen |

Multi-Media |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Christian Dennis stood up in front of his class and told them about his life: He sold drugs, went to prison three times before the age of 18, and realized he had to start over. That’s all his classmate, Bob Logue needed to hear to realize he wanted Dennis to be his business partner. Together, they started Quaker City Coffee, a business they hope can “bridge the gaps between Philly neighborhoods.” How can they do that? By hiring former inmates, and giving back money to the community.

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Can a fake court help high-risk Pennsylvania parolees?

Samantha Melamed

August 10, 2017 |

The Philadelphia Inquirer (Philadelphia Media Network) |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Close supervision and support during parole lowers recidivism among medium- and high-risk offenders with substance-abuse issues in Philadelphia. However, the impact seems to fade after parolees graduate from the yearlong Re-entry Program, often referred to as “Philadelphia re-entry court.”

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Supporters of juvenile lifer gather for a 'community resentencing'

Kristen E. Holmes

July 23, 2017 |

The Philadelphia Inquirer (Philadelphia Media Network) |

Text |

Under 800 Words

Response Location: United States, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

The Supreme Court ruled about 2,500 life sentences handed down to juveniles were unconstitutional and resentencing hearings are taking place to decide if these men and women will receive parole. In Philadelphia, a grass roots effort called Community Resentencing is designed to give family and friends an opportunity to weigh in on options for one man in a way that satisfies the need for him to repent and seek forgiveness from those he wronged while also serving the community through community service and mentoring.

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Meet a new breed of prosecutor

Henry Gass

July 17, 2017 |

The Christian Science Monitor |

Multi-Media |

Over 3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Texas

Across the country, a small number of young prosecutors are changing the face of our current criminal justice system. They are moving away from the “strict law-and-order practices of the past,” and employing a more liberal approach: “eschewing the death penalty, talking rehabilitation as much as punishment, and often refusing to charge people for minor offenses.”

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In Philly courts, whether they'll die in prison comes down to their birthday

Samantha Melamed

July 06, 2017 |

The Philadelphia Inquirer (Philadelphia Media Network) |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

A 2016 U.S. Supreme Court decision allows those sentenced to life for crimes committed as juveniles to seek parole. These people make up more than half of lifers in Pennsylvania, which is considering numerous appeals, but now those sentenced when they were slightly older are arguing the impulsivity and immaturity that makes juveniles less culpable are also present in the brains of those in their 20s. They are seeking to ensure the same legal rulings also apply to them and the legal system is trying to reconcile legal definitions of adulthood with evolving brain science.

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Pennsylvania's top court just made it way harder to sentence kids to life in prison

Samantha Melamed

June 26, 2017 |

The Philadelphia Inquirer (Philadelphia Media Network) |

Text |

Under 800 Words

Response Location: United States, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

To sentence a minor to life in prison without parole, prosecutors in Pennsylvania must now prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the minor is incapable of rehabilitation. The state supreme court ruling is meant to recognize most children’s impulsivity and their ability to change. The ruling is a significant step in Pennsylvania, which is home to the largest population of juvenile lifers in the nation.

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In the fifth most deadly state for domestic violence deaths, a new South Carolina program sees first flicker of success

Caitlin Byrd

June 21, 2017 |

The Post and Courier |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Spartanburg, North Carolina

In High Point North Carolina, domestic violence cases dramatically dropped after the city adopted a “focused deterrence” approach. “Where the city once saw between three and five domestic homicides a year, it has only had two in the last five years (one involved a couple from out of town). The last domestic homicide in High Point was in 2015.” The approach has worked in other cities as well. Now, Spartanburg County is the first to implement it at the county level.

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