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Their Unlikely Alliance Began at Whataburger. Can They Reform a Texas Jail?

Maurice Chammah

July 01, 2020 |

The Marshall Project |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Tyler, Texas

Dalila Reynoso's local activism blossomed into a full-blown watchdog role when COVID-19 began to spread through the Smith County, Texas, jail. The marriage of criminal justice reform and pandemic safety, vested in one woman, mirrors much larger court watch and jail watch projects in larger cities. For her part, Reynoso became a conduit for complaints about jail conditions. Thanks to her diplomatic skills, and a receptive sheriff's openness to criticism and change, the pair's efforts lowered virus cases from 52 to three within three weeks and lowered the jail population by more than 150 people.

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Inside the Battle to Close Rikers

Maurice Chammah

March 22, 2019 |

The Marshall Project |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, New York, New York

New York City plans to close the eight jail complex located on Rikers Island and replace it with a series of four smaller, community-integrated facilities in the Bronx, Queens, Brooklyn, and Manhattan. While the administration has faced community pushback, the city has gleaned insights about the process, including jail reform and design and how to receive feedback from the community. The goal is for this plan could lead to further decarceration, financial savings for the city, and facilities that incorporate job-training, substance abuse treatment, and counseling into its services.

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More Women Are Behind Bars Now. One Prison Wants to Change That.

Maurice Chammah

October 09, 2018 |

The Marshall Project |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Niantic, Connecticut

Connecticut's WORTH program (Women Overcoming Recidivism Through Hard Work) has changed the tone of one prison where it's being tested, by giving incarcerated women the ability to craft self-help programs while treating them with an approach in short supply in American prisons: dignity. While the ultimate goal of the program is to reduce returns to prison, and the state's overall female incarceration rate, the more immediate effect of the new program is anecdotal: Prison officials and incarcerated women alike see people gaining a sense of control over their lives and planning for a healthy future.

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To Help Young Women in Prison, Try Dignity

Maurice Chammah

October 09, 2018 |

The New York Times |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Connecticut

Inspired by prisons in Germany that emphasize personal dignity, Connecticut is shifting its corrections department's focus with two programs for young offenders. The one for women matches 14 inmates with older incarcerated mentors who help develop programs of classes, counseling and planning for post-release life. Officers are trained to address trauma and say they feel a new sense of purpose, but it's an expensive and labor-intensive program so it's unclear how it will fare after this pilot phase.

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The Connecticut Experiment

Maurice Chammah

May 08, 2018 |

The Marshall Project |

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Over 3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Connecticut

A pilot program in Connecticut for young offenders matches them with older inmates as mentors who help them confront their pasts and the underlying reasons they’re in prison. They learn new life skills and personal money management as part of a growing trend to use neuroscience to inform incarceration of young adults. The program is based on prisons in Germany and two other states are setting up similar pilots, but no data is yet available on whether the approach reduces recidivism.

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Meet the Full-Service Social Media Secretary for Prisoners

Maurice Chammah

June 29, 2016 |

The Marshall Project |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Toledo, Ohio

"A social secretary for people who have been deprived of the forms of communication that are now ubiquitous almost everywhere except for prisons," Renea Royster is part of a network of organizations (including Pigeonly, Infolincs, Inmatefone, and Phone Donkey) helping prisoners keep in touch with people on the outside.

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How to Get Out of Solitary — One Step at a Time

Maurice Chammah

January 07, 2016 |

The Marshall Project |

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Over 3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Alger, Michigan

New programs aim to ease inmates out of years of solitary confinement by passing them through different "stages," each with different behavioral requirements and rewards. It's an approach that allows inmates to gradually gain more control over their lives.

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Prison Without Punishment

Maurice Chammah

September 25, 2015 |

The Marshall Project |

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Over 3000 Words

Response Location: United States, New York, New York

Both incarceration and crime rates are low is Western Europe where the focus in prison is on rehabilitating prisoners so they can return to society. American leaders visited a prison in Germany to consider implementing certain aspects in the United States.

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