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Innovative open jail design changes San Diego inmate experience

Jennifer Kastner

September 26, 2019 |

KGTV-TV |

Broadcast TV News |

5-15 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Santee, California

San Diego County’s Las Colinas Detention and Reentry Facility was redesigned to look less like a jail and more like a community. The newly designed facility prioritizes rehabilitation over punishment by providing educational facilities, like a fully stocked library, and mental health services. While the impact is still unknown, the goal is to make reentry transitions easier and decreasing recidivism rates.

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A Decade Of Diversion: Franklin County's Court For Sex Trafficking Survivors

Paige Pfleger

September 25, 2019 |

WOSU |

Multi-Media |

3-5 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Columbus, Ohio

Treating women who are coerced into human trafficking as victims provides opportunities for recovery. Alongside the passage of legislation against human trafficking in Ohio, Franklin County courts have implemented a recovery program. Changing Actions to Change Habits (CATCH), provides victims of human trafficking with support in the form of housing, food, and treatment for addiction and trauma. In exchange for participation in the program, women can have their records expunged.

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A College Education in Prison Opens Unexpected Path to Freedom

Vanessa Rancaño

September 21, 2019 |

CapRadio |

Radio |

3-5 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Long Beach, California

California is leading the nation in prison education. “There are now in-person community college classes in all but one prison in the state, enrolling some 4,000 students." Nationally, 4 percent of higher ed institutions teach for-credit classes in prisons. “It's been the most amazing experience of my entire life, as either a free man or as an incarcerated human being." Evidence shows that providing people in prison with education reduces recidivism rates. “A major study by the RAND Corporation found taking classes in prison cuts the chances of getting locked up again by 43%.”

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'FACT' teams aim to keep people with mental illness out of jail

Alisa Roth

September 18, 2019 |

MPR News |

Radio |

3-5 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Minneapolis, Minnesota

A Forensic Assertive Community Treatment (FACT) team tackles one of the toughest challenges at the intersection of mental health and criminal justice: how to help people whose mental illness has landed them in criminal trouble, without resorting to jail or brief hospitalizations. A Rochester, New York, program that showed promise in improving those odds by connecting people with needed services is now being replicated in Hennepin County, Minnesota. So far, about half of the 60 people in the program returned to jail. So it's only working for some people.

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Two Rural Counties Take Diverting Paths to Jail Reform

Laine Kaplan-Levenson

September 16, 2019 |

70 Million |

Podcast |

Over 15 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Alamosa, Colorado

Two southern Colorado counties responded differently when drug abuse, poverty, and mental illness contributed to overcrowding in their old, decrepit jails. Pueblo County's sheriff has gone to voters three times seeking approval of a near-doubling of his jail's capacity. Alamosa County's sheriff did the same, and succeeded in a renovation that nearly doubled capacity. But those extra cells turned out to be unnecessary because that county's criminal justice and community agencies collaborated on jail alternatives, significantly reducing how many people get jailed.

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New York providers credit ‘aftercare' for helping youths transition home

Allison Dikanovic

September 16, 2019 |

Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, New York, New York

New York has taken great strides in reforming their juvenile justice system, and key to that has been ensuring that those in the system receive ongoing support once they return to their communities. Organizations like Arches work with probation officers to provide young people with therapy and mentors – whose lives have been similar to their mentees – in order to provide the needed support and guidance. Such programs have shown lowered recidivism rates and have garnered the attention of officials in Milwaukee who are seeking to makeover their system.

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New York juvenile justice program stresses ‘safety by relationships'

Allison Dikanovic

September 11, 2019 |

Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, New York, New York

In New York City, the Close to Home initiative is taking a different approach to juvenile justice by centering it around a localized, residential, and rehabilitative model. These facilities operate out of traditional-looking homes and are run by nonprofits like Rising Ground. Its model focuses on building relationships as a key to rehabilitation, and emphasizes the importance of staff / youth relationships and familial connections. As Wisconsin seeks to change their model of juvenile justice, it takes inspiration from Close to Home in its implementation of smaller, more regional facilities.

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Where Texting Brings People to Court

Jenny Casas

September 09, 2019 |

70 Million |

Podcast |

Over 15 Minutes

Response Location: United States, West Palm Beach, Florida

In Palm Beach County, an automated system sends text-message reminders, instead of just postal mail notices, to people with upcoming court dates. About 14% of those jailed in the county were there on warrants for failure to appear in court, placing a burden both on the system and on people's disrupted lives. Since the system was started, warrants for failure to appear are down by more than half, although other factors are also at play. At the very least, every court appearance someone makes is one less public cost and private hassle.

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How New York and Milwaukee approach juvenile justice

Allison Dikanovic

September 09, 2019 |

Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, New York, New York

New York’s Close to Home legislation approaches the juvenile justice system through the lens of rehabilitation, moving those in up-state juvenile facilities to local, sometimes residential housing that emphasizes family and community. The approach has led to a 71% decrease in the number of youth placed in these facilities and a drastic increase in academic performance. Halfway across the country, as Wisconsin closes two of its upstate juvenile facilities, Milwaukee legislators are seeking to implement similar, community-centered programming.

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Teens Learn Life Skills Training Therapy Dogs

Michael Tashji

August 30, 2019 |

Juvenile Justice Information Exchange |

Text |

Under 800 Words

Response Location: United States, New York, New York

Working to train therapy dogs helps kids with issues learn how to cope. Rising Ground, an organization in New York City, provides animal therapy as part of a residential placement program for juveniles facing problems with the law. The youth receive training in life skills, counseling, and peer support through their court-ordered program. In addition, Rising Ground engages them in an eight-week program to train therapy dogs, which helps the youth learn how to deal with their emotions, as well.

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