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Stuck in detention: For immigrants without lawyers, justice is hard to find

Natalie Yahr

May 19, 2019 |

Wisconsin Watch |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Madison, Wisconsin

In Dane County, Wisconsin, one of 13 sites in the nation served by a program to give immigrants held in detention access to free legal help, attorneys greatly increase the odds that their clients can successfully fight deportation by winning their release pending a final court ruling in their cases. Immigrants represented by counsel, who also are reunited with their families and can continue working, are more than six times as likely to be allowed to stay in the U.S. as those who lack legal representation.

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They threw this mom in jail over a probation violation. These activists bailed her out.

Natasha S. Alford

May 11, 2019 |

TheGrio |

Text |

Under 800 Words

Response Location: United States, Maryland

Across the United States, Black Mama’s Bail out bailed out hundreds of black women in time for Mother’s Day. The organization accepts donations to pay bail for women cannot afford it on their own as part of their larger goal of ending the cash bail system and mass incarceration. Research shows that while black women are increasingly one of the largest groups of incarcerated individuals, and yet simply posting bail has led to a majority of these cases being dropped.

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#FreeBlackMamas works to bail black mothers out of jail in time for Mother's Day

Erin Evans

May 11, 2019 |

NBC News |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States

Community organizing groups around the country have mobilized to get black mothers out of prison. The initiative #FreeBlackMamas has raised over $1 million dollars in donations since 2017 and comes as a growing response against the cash bail system. Besides bailing out black mothers, the groups seek to build community and address the larger systemic issue of race and incarceration.

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Rent Law Offers Reprieve to Some of Los Angeles' Most Vulnerable Families

Jessica Goodheart

April 29, 2019 |

Capital & Main |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Los Angeles County, California

The temporary passage of a new ordinance has capped rent increases to three percent and allowed some families in Los Angeles County to successfully push back on no-cause, or unjustified evictions. The ordinance provides just-cause protection which requires a landlord to prove a tenant either damaged the property or did not pay their rent on time. The just-cause protection allows families some reprieve from evictions, without which many would be homeless. Tenant advocates are pushing to make the legislation permanent.

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As ICE Releases Hundreds of Asylum-Seekers at a Time, Phoenix Churches Step in

Alisa Reznick

April 19, 2019 |

Bitterroot |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Phoenix, Arizona

A series of churches in Phoenix, Arizona are stepping up to help migrant families released by ICE by providing them up with a place to stay temporarily, medical care, donated supplies, and the beginnings of a plan to find a place to stay. So far volunteers have estimated that they have helped over 60,000 migrants with no end in sight.

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“What Does the World Beyond Jails and Prisons Look Like?”

Zenobia Jeffries

April 18, 2019 |

Yes! Magazine |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Detroit, Michigan

The Detroit Justice Center is providing a comprehensive approach to breaking the cycle of poverty in the county. The nonprofit law firm provides immediate support, like paying back child support and posting the cash bail payments that keep those experiencing poverty trapped in a cycle of debt and imprisonment. The group also aims high in their larger efforts to disrupt the criminal justice system, like suing the county to prevent the building of a new jail complex, and provides their clients and the community the chance to reimagine what the city could look like with transformative and economic justice.

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By Forgiving Warrants and Fines, Communities Give People a Fresh Start

Keith Griffith

April 09, 2019 |

Yes! Magazine |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, New Orleans, Louisiana

Stand With Dignity, a grassroots, community organizing group in New Orleans, has coordinated warrant clinics for those driving with suspended licenses. These clinics have forgiven $2 million worth of traffic fines and reinstated licenses for hundreds of individuals, in the hopes of breaking the cycle of unpaid fines, which is often a driver of unemployment and poverty.

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'Someone To Speak For You': Low-Income Tenants Get Lawyers For Housing Court

Jenifer McKim

April 03, 2019 |

NPR |

Radio |

3-5 Minutes

Response Location: United States, New York

New York City has pioneered one of the nation's first programs to provide free legal services to low-income tenants under threat of eviction. Recent studies have indicated that evictions declined more in cities that had implemented right to counsel, and more cities are looking to follow New York's example as they work to prevent housing instability and homelessness.

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How has Ohio Stepped Up Measures to Combat Sexual Violence?

Christopher Johnston

March 31, 2019 |

Eye On Ohio |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Ohio

Across Ohio, legislators, organizations, and activists have improved prevention and response measures to sexual assault. The state has seen the opening of 14 new rape crisis centers, statewide legislation, increased support for survivors and their families, and the establishment of on-campus programs. Each initiative offers different services, but all seek to shift the culture and provide a more well-rounded approach to sexual assault for Ohio residents.

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For Red Hook, Justice Center is Much More than a Court

Megan Conn

March 26, 2019 |

Bklynr |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, New York, New York

The Red Hook Community Justice Center is a community center that also functions as a court hearing family, housing, and criminal cases. Defendants get on-site social services, like support groups and counseling, with an approach called procedural justice: cultivating public respect for the system by giving people a voice in it and by showing respect and transparency. A 2016 survey found 80% of local residents held positive feelings about the court, which was founded in 2000. People in the neighborhood can use the center's services even if they are not in a court case.

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