Artwork stating 'Education Destroys Barriers', 'We Demand Treatment', and 'I Need A Chance'

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  • Why Raj Jayadev is helping Philly's criminal justice system adopt participatory defense

    Participatory defense, is a model that integrates the family into the legal defense of someone being prosecuted for a crime. Loved ones can bring in evidence like photos and records that speak to the character of the accused person. In Philadelphia, the model is being implemented and already helped reduce someone’s bail from $500,000 to $0. Nationally, the method has been proven to be highly effective. “Over 10 years, participatory defense hubs have popped up in 20 other cities and reduced people’s sentences by 4,218 years.”

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  • Detroit homeless court changes lives for its defendants

    Street Outreach Court Detroit is a collaboration between the courts and service providers to waive legal and financial obligations post-conviction if a person makes a commitment to an individualized action plan. These plans can include steps such as substance misuse treatment, enrolling in a workforce readiness program, and accessing housing subsidies.

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  • Nonprofit helps kids impacted by homicide

    A Kansas City non-profit called Healing Pathway Victim Service Agency aids children, or the "smallest co-victims" as they call them, of crimes and homicides through case management, education, victim advocacy and trauma-informed mentorship for kids. The organization acts as a one-stop shop for families, offering connection to mental health resources, advice on navigating the courts, and assistance with victim compensation.

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  • How Madeline Snyder, a trans woman in Tyler, got her driver's license fixed

    The legal process for changing your name and gender on drivers' licenses or birth certificates was—and, to a degree, still is—convoluted, expensive, and time-consuming. A grassroots movement started after the 2016 Presidential Election that used GoFundMe, Facebook, and public support to help Madeline Snyder and other trans people from Tyler, Texas change their legal documents all at once. The process wasn't always straightforward, but it had about a 75% success rate and brought with it a groundswell of support from the trans and ally communities.

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  • Michigan Cities Face Eviction Crisis — Here Are Some Solutions

    As Michigan cities struggle with high eviction rates, Cleveland is trying out some creative ways to mitigate the difficult effects of eviction. One effort, mediation between tenants and landlords, might lead to eviction being erased from someone’s record - a huge win. Another program connects social workers to tenants facing eviction. Finally, legal aid advocates support legal representation for anyone facing eviction. It’s a long road ahead, but other cities are definitely learning from Cleveland.

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  • America's Other Family-Separation Crisis

    As incarceration rates of women in America continue to rise, Still She Rises, a project of the Bronx Defenders, uses a holistic approach to legal defense for incarcerated mothers in Tulsa, OK. Attorneys for the organization investigate injustices in cases and represent local, often impoverished, mothers, who face losing custody of their children in the face of the law.

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  • Borderwise

    Borderwise is an online interface that makes it easier to apply for a green card or naturalization in the United States. Since Borderwise was created in 2016, more than 80.000 immigration forms have been prepared using the interface. In addition to streamlining immigration paperwork, the startup also offers low or no-cost legal aid to applicants.

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  • After speaking out against Harvey Weinstein, two actresses join forces to protect others in Hollywood

    Created by three actors who are sexual assault survivors, Voices In Action is a secure and private system to report abuse. Those that report abuse can be connected to legal representation through the site as well as receive notification if a report is made against their abuser.

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  • Seattle is the leader in worker protection laws. What can Philly learn as it considers a ‘fair workweek'?

    In an effort to achieve a true "fair work week," Philadelphia looks to Seattle's worker protection laws - which are among the best in the country. Seattle enforces a strict secure-scheduling policy, which ensures workers are compensated if an employer changes their schedule without fair warning.

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  • This 24-year-old lawsuit could radically alter public education in North Carolina

    Twenty years ago, five, poor, rural counties sued the state of North Carolina for failing to provide students with a good education, and won. In 1997 the Chief Justice Supreme Court judge ruled in favor of the plaintiffs in the case known as Leandro v. State. However, the decision wasn’t really enforced by the government, and until 2017 a court appointed agency was hired to investigate the state. “Leandro sets the bar but you still need to have elected officials, school officials and court officials willing to uphold it,”

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