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Creative Freedom

Gwynne Watkins

November 18, 2019 |

Reasons to be Cheerful |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, New York

New York-based nonprofit, Rehabilitation Through the Arts (RTA), runs theater programs for individuals experiencing incarceration as a way of improving mental health and reducing recidivism. While the United States’ criminal justice system has been focused on punitive measures, there’s been a trend toward rehabilitation across the country in recent years. Participants in RTA have shown a rate of recidivism of just 5% – compared to a 60% national average – but funding and sustainability remain a consistent hurdle.

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The police experiment that changed what we know about foot patrol

Liz Tung

November 15, 2019 |

WHYY |

Radio |

5-15 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Of the three most notable experiments testing the effectiveness of police foot patrols at reducing crime, only one – the Philadelphia Foot Patrol Experiment – showed a significant reduction in violence, thanks to a three-month randomized controlled trial. By rethinking an old practice and infusing it with data-driven thinking about focusing on "hot spots," the Philadelphia brand of foot patrols debunked the myth that patrol might, at best, only improve community relations without having an effect on crime. But random car patrols, reacting mainly to radio calls, remains the dominant approach nationwide.

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Could 'invisible barcodes' revolutionise recycling?

Dougal Shaw

November 14, 2019 |

BBC |

Broadcast TV Programs |

3-5 Minutes

Response Location: Germany, Andernach

A pilot recycling sorting method hosted in Germany has created an easier way for recyclable and non-recyclable products to be separated. Designers printed invisible digital codes - much like invisible barcodes that can be picked up by a grocery store scanner - onto a myriad of products for a sensor machine to be able to sort products by material; the sorting machine saw over 90% success in correct allocation. Now, some of the largest food companies in the world are working together to use this technology on a wider scale.

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'The woods, they hide so much': Animal Cruelty out of sight out of mind?

Rebecca Lindstrom Lindsey Basye

November 12, 2019 |

WXIA-TV |

Broadcast TV News |

5-15 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Pennsylvania

To address animal cruelty in Pennsylvania, a team of law enforcement officers are receiving special training to better identify and prosecute the guilty. This effort gives limited enforcement powers to those trained and allows them to be hired by animal welfare groups to serve search warrants, charge and arrest those involved, and appear in court.

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Getting a Handle on Self-Harm

Benedict Carey

November 11, 2019 |

The New York Times |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Glen Oaks, New York

Self-injury tactics have been increasing among adolescents, but psychologists are finding success with implementing specialized forms of therapy. Typically used with those diagnosed with a personality disorder, a specialized talk therapy known as dialectical behavior therapy works to teach "mindfulness techniques and opposite action, in which patients act opposite to the way they feel in order to alter the underlying distress."

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She gave birth to 150 puppies then was discarded. How Victoria's story could stop puppy mills

Rebecca Lindstrom Lindsey Basye

November 10, 2019 |

WXIA-TV |

Broadcast TV News |

5-15 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania has made significant strides in decreasing animal cruelty in the commercial breeding sector. It has overhauled its kennel regulations, making sure dogs have access to outdoor space and exercise space, are visited by a veterinarian bi-annually, and are not allowed to be owned by anyone convicted of animal cruelty. Since these changes were put in place the state has seen a sharp increase in violations and closures, which for them, is a success.

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‘The worth of water' and what conservation strategies are working

Amy Joi O'Donoghue

November 09, 2019 |

Deseret News |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Salt Lake City, Utah

To address worsening droughts and limited water resources in the 2nd driest state in the country, Utah government officials are implementing different methods of water metering throughout the state as a tool for water consumption measurement. Residents can have digital access to the amount of water they are using for landscaping comparative to the amount they should be using. Since this implementation, water consumption has drastically decreased in project areas.

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Seattle's already doing what California's about to do to limit police use of force. How's it working out?

Laurel Rosenhall Brian Howey

November 07, 2019 |

CalMatters |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Seattle, Washington

In the past decade, Seattle has reduced their use of force by 60 percent. Spurred by a court order, the reduction comes from greater de-escalation training, stricter, more nuanced policies, and more collaboration between law enforcement and activists. While moving the needle, many cite the long way the city has to go, especially when it comes to how force is still used disproportionately on communities of color. But because they’ve made progress without endangering officers, other states like California look to Seattle as a model of reform.

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Fresh Data Shows How Focused Deterrence Can Keep At-Risk Individuals from Crime

Champe Barton

November 06, 2019 |

The Trace |

Text |

Under 800 Words

Response Location: United States, Detroit, Michigan

In 2013, Detroit’s law enforcement agencies started using focused deterrence – a method that uses data to identify at-risk individuals – to decrease the rate of violent crime in the city. The method, part of the national program, Ceasefire, partners police departments with social workers and other city services to deter people from criminal behavior. A new study in the journal, Crime and Delinquency, has been published that links the strategy to decreased crime rates and recidivism.

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Multnomah County Trees Are Doing Much More Than We Think

Monica Samayoa Priyanka Runwal

November 01, 2019 |

Oregon Public Broadcasting (OPB) |

Multi-Media |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Portland, Oregon

Friends of Trees, a nonprofit organization in the Portland area, are not just planting trees because they help combat climate change and improve air quality, but because they also help stop major flooding and avoid erosion. While it can be expensive to maintain the trees and clean up the leaves from storm drains, these trees could prevent millions of gallons of rainfall from flooding neighborhoods as extreme weather events are expected to increase in the future.

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