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The Jail

Anna Boiko-Weyrauch

September 17, 2018 |

Finding Fixes |

Podcast |

Over 15 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Washington

Inmates in Snohomish County jails who have substance use disorder are now being given suboxone to help them manage withdrawal symptoms. Upon release, people are also being provided with supports to connected them with services and ensure that they do not overdose due to the change in their tolerance after a partial withdrawal.

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Stripped: The Search for Human Rights in US Women's Prisons

Adam Skolnick

September 07, 2018 |

Longreads |

Text |

Over 3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Washington

After her client and friend gets sentenced to 13 years in prison at the Washington Corrections Center for Women, Laurie Dawson, an activist, sets out to reform prison practices. With the guidance of the Bangkok Rules, an international document that outlines 70 principles meant to reform women’s prisons, Dawson sets her sight on eliminating strip searches from WCCM, and succeeds.

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Youth Need Community-Based Treatment, Not Jails

Megan Hadley

September 05, 2018 |

The Crime Report |

Text |

Under 800 Words

Response Location: United States

The number of youth confined in U.S. detention facilities has dropped by nearly half since 1997, saving money and reducing recidivism. A report by the Justice Policy Institute says this has made communities safer, but that reductions are only among those accused of nonviolent crimes and that racial and ethnic disparities have increased. The report calls for changes, such as repealing state laws on mandatory sentences, offering better probation supervision and creating more diversion options.

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Can New Zealand Provide the U.S. With a Model for Juvenile Justice Reform?

Arvind Dilawar

September 04, 2018 |

Pacific Standard |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: New Zealand

New Zealand introduced restorative justice practices for juveniles in their criminal justice system after incredibly high rates of child incarceration and an over-representation of minorities. The practice, in places since the late 80's, includes youth justice councils and limits police arrests. The "overall number of youth arrested, charged, and incarcerated" has fallen, but there is still disproportionate representation of minority groups in the system.

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Veterans Courts Give Soldiers a Way Back

Heidi Shin

September 02, 2018 |

70 Million |

Podcast |

Over 15 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Boston, Massachusetts

When military veterans get charged with crimes, more than 350 courts nationwide exist to try to keep them out of jail, with rehabilitation as the chief goal. Boston Veterans Court provides people with social workers, outreach specialists, access to therapy, and help in going to school, finding a job, and dealing with life's stresses. Many people in this system come home from war struggling with anger, trauma, and substance abuse problems. Some studies have quantified veterans courts' success rates for helping people overcoming mental illness and staying out of criminal trouble.

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Locals Divided Between Diversion and Border Security

Jesse Alejandro Cottrell

August 26, 2018 |

70 Million |

Podcast |

Over 15 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Tucson, Arizona

Pima County, Arizona, eased its jail overcrowding with reforms that reduced the jail population by 400 people. Its Community Collaborative put key players from the criminal justice system, plus formerly incarcerated people, on a team that created programs to divert cases from incarceration to treatment, screen people to detain fewer people before trial, and a new court to reduce the problems working people had in making court dates. A new jail was no longer needed. But a federal border program that gave the county incentives to make needless arrests undercut some of those reforms.

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Grassroots Organizations Are Leading the Way on Criminal Justice Reform

Danielle Ziegelheim

August 14, 2018 |

Pacific Standard |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, St. Louis, Missouri

Local groups in cities like St. Louis and New York are organizing to reform the criminal justice system, pushing for policies that reinstate voting rights for formerly incarcerated people, changing punishments for non-violent crimes, and in some cases, eliminating jails altogether. The local know-how and pressure is creating results, and that, along with the funding and assistance that national organizations can bring, is a model for how advocates for criminal justice reform can change the system.

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How tough-on-crime Texas lowered its prison population and what Oklahoma can learn from it

Justin Wingerter

August 12, 2018 |

The Oklahoman |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Texas

In 2007, Texas prisons were near capacity and half a billion dollars was needed to build three new prisons. Instead, the state became a model for conservative-led criminal sentencing reform by changing a host of laws to send many fewer people to prison in the first place. By spending half of the savings on drug and alcohol treatment, among other services, the state focused on solving people's underlying problems rather than always punishing behavior after the fact.

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How Can America Reduce Mass Incarceration?

Terry Gross

August 06, 2018 |

NPR |

Radio |

Over 15 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Newark, New Jersey

A community court program in Newark, New Jersey provides alternative sentencing options for low-level offenders rather than jail or release that include getting help for mental health issues and addiction. It's part of a multi-state effort by the Center for Court Innovation to address that high rates of incarceration in the U.S. by addressing the criminalization of behaviors that are usually driven by other underlying factors such poverty, addiction and homelessness.

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An innovative approach to criminal justice reform: Put black women in charge

Timothy Pratt

August 03, 2018 |

The Washington Post |

Multi-Media |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, South Fulton, Georgia

South Fulton is the only city in the U.S. to put black women in charge of its criminal justice system—from the judge, to the prosecutor, to the public defender. “The result: A focus on community policing, pretrial diversion programs and assigning public defenders to all cases.” Ultimately, the aim is to divert black people from entering the prison pipeline, and establishing a model that can be replicated in other cities.

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