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

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  • The Power of a Theater Performance in Prison

    Creativity activities in prisons can provide inmates with an emotional outlet, a way to process their life experiences, and an opportunity to constructively work in a group. The theatrical performances staged at New York's Sing Sing prison by the Rehabilitation Through the Arts program provides inmates with these benefits as well as a sense of skill and pride in their accomplishment.

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  • When mental illness leads to an arrest, this court steps in

    Non-violent offenders arrested during mental health episodes in Davidson County are sent to Mental Health Court rather than criminal court. Through this court, they are connected to safety net services such as housing, medication assistance, and therapy.

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  • Poachers become protectors: How tigers bounced back in an Indian park

    With poaching on the rise in the South Indian Periyar Tiger Reserve, officials turned to the poachers themselves to see if they could turn their problem into a solution. In lieu of facing charges, the poachers became the protectors and the reserve saw a reduction in poaching all while offering an alternate form of income for the former full-time poachers.

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  • Prison

    Across the country, prisons are incorporating “therapeutic communities” to help incarcerated individuals find the residential treatment they need. Substance abuse continues to be strongly linked to recidivism, and in an attempt to break that cycle, these therapeutic communities provide people with structured rehabilitation, counseling, and support as an alternative to traditional prison. Many are federally funded, but considering they’ve only recently gained traction, they still face issues like buy-in and capacity.

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  • Police

    In Philadelphia, the 22nd District police department has adopted the Police Assisted Diversion program, or PAD. The program trains police officers to take a public health approach to addiction and substance abuse, giving those they encounter who need treatment the option to go through treatment rather than the criminal justice system. Besides helping those with substance abuse issues, the PAD program seeks to build trust between the community and the police through on-the-ground engagement efforts.

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  • From screaming and police to college in the fall, family says juvenile justice program 'saved son's life'

    Reaching out to juvenile offenders with support and services, rather than putting them in jail, reduces recidivism and can save public money. A program called Youth Villages is instrumental in helping youth offenders in Alabama build better futures for themselves, reaching about 50 young people every year. A bill that would have expanded this approach across the state was proposed but failed to pass before the end of the legislative session.

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  • As opioids land more women in prison, Ohio finds alternative treatments

    The Ohio Reformatory for Women is a prison that offers inmates a chance to enroll in Tapestry, an inpatient drug treatment program that tries to delve into the deeper causes women turn to drugs. It also believes in connecting women who are addicts with one another because “on the outside there’s not enough support.” The 18 month program is “about healing mind, body and spirit.”

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  • 'I have no thought of escaping': inside the Brazilian prisons with no guards

    In Apac prisons, inmates hold the keys. “By committing a crime, prisoners break the social pact,” says Ana Paula Pellegrino of Igarape Institute. “An Apac prison restores this by allowing inmates to work for the community.” Inmates contribute to local projects, follow a routine of work and study, and are addressed by name rather than number. The rehabilitation-focused approach is completely different from what happens in Brazil's mainstream prisons, a fact that motivates inmates to honor the rules.

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  • The better way to support rape victims: put their needs first

    While still a relatively new field, restorative justice is providing a way for some sexual assault survivors, and perpetrators, to make amends. Restorative justice is an approach to dealing with crime that involves the person that committed the offense to admit his or her actions and ask for forgiveness, then go through a set of actions to repair the crime, such as community service. Some victims and offenders are finding this a much more productive process than going through the criminal justice system. A peer-reviewed study “reported high rates of satisfaction with the process."

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  • Saving The Future, One Kid At A Time

    A program in Philadelphia created to divert students who get in trouble away from the juvenile justice system is poised to grow into the first Juvenile Justice Hub in the country with help from a competitive grant program through Bloomberg Philanthropies. The hub would be based on successful program created in the city's schools that has cut the number of kids arrested in half and is designed to address students' behavior by understanding the environment in which students live and connecting them to social services.

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