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New Zealand Tries a Different Kind of Private Prison

Rikha Sharma Rani

August 31, 2017 |

Bloomberg CityLab |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: New Zealand, Auckland

The privatized prison system is largely skewed against inmates, as most are funded based on the number of individuals incarcerated, creating a disincentive to invest in the rehabilitation and comprehensive treatment of inmates. But the Wiri prison in Auckland is piloting a new approach that focuses on the greater good: the government pays the prison for positive results based on recidivism rates and improved outcomes for inmates, especially the Maori minority.

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An Easy Way to Encourage Businesses to Hire Marginalized Workers?

Neil Parmar

August 27, 2017 |

OZY |

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Under 800 Words

Response Location: Canada, Toronto

A pilot program in Canada is providing increased job opportunities for disadvantaged populations - including refugees, those with disabilities, and laborers who have been unemployed long-term - through a special program that rewards companies hiring them with what is essentially a cash-back rebate on loans covered by the government. The rebate adds up to be significantly less than the cost of paying out unemployment, and has the additional benefits of encouraging workplace diversity and corporate growth.

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Meet the Men Who Invest in Women Entrepreneurs

Riva Richmond

August 10, 2017 |

The Story Exchange |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States

Women tend to invest in female-owned and run companies, but men disproportionately invest in male-run companies, which means female companies lose out on a huge market. Some male investors, such as Adam Quinton, see the female-run businesses as a better investment because of the lack of competition and that these firms tend to outperform the male-owned companies, this finding is shifting where people invest.

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Ghost Gear Busters: Paying Fishers to Collect Derelict Nets, Traps

Erica Cirino

July 26, 2017 |

News Deeply |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Barnegat Bay, New Jersey

"Ghost gear" describes the nets, lines, and other debris lost off the back of commercial fishing boats in staggering amounts each year, and it spells death for hundreds of thousands of marine animals and birds who get tangled in it. Previously, there was little financial incentive to pull this litter back out of the water, but a new public-private partnership called Fishing For Energy is paying fishers to gather up ghost gear and help recycle it, as well as developing new technologies to prevent bycatch and educating communities about the issue.

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In Ethiopia, model drought defenses are put to the test

Ryan Lenora Brown

July 24, 2017 |

The Christian Science Monitor |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Ethiopia, Addis Ababa

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia’s cosmopolitan capital, has long been considered a world apart from surrounding rural communities, all of which suffer from reoccurring droughts and civil war. However, thanks to international aid and government intervention, things are looking up for the whole of Ethiopia, dubbed one of the world’s fastest-growing economies. Success is particularly linked to a government program designed to predict natural disasters before they occur, and an innovative economic development program, which employs Ethiopia’s poorest in exchange for labor on public works projects. So far, these measures h

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How Iceland became the most stone-cold sober country for teens in Europe

Jesse Hyde

July 20, 2017 |

Deseret News |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: Iceland, Reykjavík

The Youth Iceland program has lowered rates of teenage alcohol abuse not by counseling teens to say no to drinking, but by providing opportunities to establish a healthy life and relationships. The program entailed investing money in school programs, providing money to families to participate in these programs, and pushing for parents to spend more time with the children.

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A Cheap Fix for Climate Change? Pay People Not to Chop Down Trees

Brad Plumer

July 20, 2017 |

The New York Times |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: Uganda, Hoima, Kibaale, Western Region

In a randomized experiment in western Uganda, scientists demonstrated the effectiveness of paying rural farmers not to chop down trees since deforestation contributes to CO2 emissions worldwide. They studied for two years the declines in forest cover between a control group (no payment) and the participant group (paid). Building on a United Nations project in which wealthy nations pay poorer ones in an attempt to equalize the costs of responding to climate change, the outcome of the project proves the existence of a low-cost environmental policy solution to stemming rising global temperatures.

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Taking Guns Off the Streets, $100 at a time

Claire Martin

July 10, 2017 |

The New York Times |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Los Angeles, California

As professor of medicine and gun-violence researcher Dr. Garen Wintemute notes, gun buyback programs have "struggled against the perception" of ineffectiveness: attracting only older and non-violent gun owners, for instance, and in some cases leading people to use the cash to buy superior firearms. But after Gun by Gun—a gun violence prevention non-profit—successfully raised and invested prodigious sums through a customized online funding campaign, this perception has changed; partnering with several California cities, this national non-prof has used more than $100,000 of nationally-sourced individual donations to create demonstrably sustainable, more successful buyback programs across the state.

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Rethinking Homeless Shelters From the Ground Up

Krutika Pathi

June 28, 2017 |

Bloomberg CityLab |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, New York, New York

The homeless population in NYC stands at the highest number since the Great Depression. The Bowery Residents Committee has suggested changes to how shelters emerge, run and are funded. With a focus on results-based funding, the BRC advocates for the prioritization of impact on the people served. It rewards locations that demonstrate a high ratio of people moving in to those returning; "building to the function" of helping people re-enter society; and eliminating private landlords.

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Why a $10,000 Philly tax break got almost no takers

Jane M. Von Bergen

June 21, 2017 |

The Philadelphia Inquirer (Philadelphia Media Network) |

Multi-Media |

Under 800 Words

Response Location: United States, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

In Philadelphia, the city enrolled out a program that offered companies a $10,000 tax credit. The catch? Hire former prisoners who have crime records. To the surprise of the city, the program tanked. Now, the city created a similar, but revised program “ the Fair Chance Hiring Initiative.”

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