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Why this program for ex-offenders is working better in rural areas

Emily Previti

December 05, 2016 |

WHYY |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Pennsylvania

Rates of recidivism in Pennsylvania have dropped substantially in recent years. Part of this decrease is due to the efforts of the Union County Justice Bridge Housing Program, which assists ex-offenders with housing. Other counties across the state are trying to replicate this success, yet face geographic and socioeconomic barriers.

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Hard time software: Why these prisoners learn computer coding

Ann Scott Tyson

November 28, 2016 |

The Christian Science Monitor |

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Over 3000 Words

Response Location: United States, San Quentin, California

The USA has one of the highest rates of incarceration, and reoffending is a likely outcome after prison. 'The Last Mile' and similar programs are providing inmates with the opportunity to learn marketable skills and earn degrees while in prison, and then find jobs once their sentence is finished, in order to decrease the likelihood of reoffending.

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Mothers in Prison

Nicholas Kristof

November 25, 2016 |

The New York Times |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Tulsa, Oklahoma

The US incarcerates 8x as many women as it did in 1980, and two-thirds of women in state prisons are there for nonviolent offenses. A program in Tulsa, Women in Recovery, is working with women (and their children) to divert them from prison, combat addiction, and get access to services like education, coaching, housing, and work.

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Legal advocate helps workers under shadow of criminal records

Jane M. Von Bergen

November 20, 2016 |

The Philadelphia Inquirer (Philadelphia Media Network) |

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Under 800 Words

Response Location: United States, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Philadelphia enacted a law in 2016 that allows for people convicted of minor crimes to get their records sealed by a court. In this article an employment lawyer who has worked for many years with people who have records talks about why it's extremely difficult for people to reintegrate into a community and get a job with even a minor conviction in their past. The shift has garnered support across political lines as people begin to realize the economic and other costs to society when people can't work and end up back in prison.

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If you have a criminal record, read this

Jane M. Von Bergen

November 19, 2016 |

The Philadelphia Inquirer (Philadelphia Media Network) |

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Under 800 Words

Response Location: United States, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

A law in Philadelphia allows people with certain misdemeanor convictions to ask a court to seal their records. This means job seekers could honestly tell prospective employers they have no criminal record and schools and landlords would not see the records either. However, law enforcement and district attorneys would still have access to the records so if a person is rearrested their history could be taken into account in setting bail or in sentencing.

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Job seekers with criminal histories thankful for expungement clinic

Aaron Moselle

November 12, 2016 |

WHYY |

Text |

Under 800 Words

Response Location: United States, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

An expungement clinic in Philadelphia allows some with criminal charges in their past to start the process of having those sealed from public view by a judge. The workshops follow the passage of Act 5, a new state law that provides an additional path to expungement besides just a pardon from the governor. Many are hopeful the process will make it easier for people with issues in their past to get jobs and become independent citizens, although there are strict guidelines in the law on who can seek expungement.

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A day to expunge criminal records is hugely popular in Philly

Jane M. Von Bergen

November 11, 2016 |

The Philadelphia Inquirer (Philadelphia Media Network) |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

In Pennsylvania, people with certain types of misdemeanors can ask the courts to seal their records from public view. When this law was passed, a team of 175 lawyers, paralegals, and law students volunteered to help eligible people start the process of sealing their records. The event was a big hit with 1,853 people signing up for help, so many that registration had to close. Of the applicants, 1,200 will likely get their records sealed.

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‘We Failed Him': Caught in the Revolving Door of Juvenile Detention

Tim Summers, Jr.

November 09, 2016 |

Jackson Free Press |

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Over 3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Jackson, Mississippi

If juveniles in the Hinds County youth-court system, whose families tend to have limited resources, cannot get sustained, meaningful help at the center, they do not have many other options. But, thanks to a lawsuit on behalf of the juveniles in the facility, the county is starting to address the lack of mental-health services - whether in facilities or starting at home with the family.

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Don't Lock 'Em Up. Give 'Em a Chance to Quit Drugs

Caroline Preston

October 25, 2016 |

The New York Times |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Seattle, Washington

In Seattle, the over-policing of drug users has been extensive and frequently racially biased. Looking for a new solution, the LEAD (Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion) program, driven by a harm reduction philosophy, is connecting users with key social services rather than punishment.

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New Program to Stem Chicago's Violence Epidemic Starts in Jail

Brandis Friedman

October 20, 2016 |

WTTW-PBS |

Multi-Media |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Chicago, Illinois

Chicago's Cook County Jail seeks to short-circuit the cycle of violence by involving young men from the city's most violent zip codes in a program that includes counseling, conflict resolution and anger management. The Sheriff's Anti-Violence Effort, or SAVE, then connects them with services once they're released to find housing and employment. Results are preliminary, but so far more than 80 have gone through the program and 20 were released, with just two ending up back in jail.

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