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Why this couple's wedding registry was devoted to paying off Philly kids' court costs

Samantha Melamed

July 10, 2018 |

The Philadelphia Inquirer (Philadelphia Media Network) |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

A couple created a nonprofit in Philadelphia to make micro grants for those who need small amounts to pay off medical bills or legal fees so they can move on with their lives. The effort garnered modest donations, including through their own wedding registry, and has made about 10 grants, but those have had significant impacts on recipients. The two acknowledge this is more like a bandaid, so they also partnered with a policy organization to work on wider systemic change.

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Can the A.C.L.U. Become the N.R.A. for the Left?

Joel Lovell

July 02, 2018 |

The New York Times Magazine |

Multi-Media |

Over 3000 Words

Response Location: United States

The ACLU has unrolled a new operation to counter human rights abuses under the current administration. They’ve hired more lawyers, taken 170 “Trump-related legal actions, and filed 83 lawsuits against the Trump administration. They’re also getting more engaged with electoral races, something they have never done before. “That’s the way we’re going to survive this. Pressure in the courts, pressure from the public.”

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How Silicon Valley is responding to the immigration crisis

Eric Johnson Kara Swisher

June 25, 2018 |

Vox |

Multi-Media |

Over 15 Minutes

Response Location: United States, San Francisco, California

A fundraiser called “Reunite an immigrant parent with their child” raised $19 million in one week for the Texas nonprofit RAICES. Creators Charlotte and Dave Willner say almost half a million people have donated via Facebook so far. They cite matching gifts and the fundraiser’s narrow focus and wide appeal as key factors in its success.

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Domestic violence: Convictions are hard and the safety net has many holes

Jess Aloe Elizabeth Murray

June 06, 2018 |

Burlington Free Press |

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Under 800 Words

Response Location: United States, Burlington, Vermont

Vermont lawmakers tried to make it easier for domestic violence victims to seek a special type of restraining order even if law enforcement does not have enough evidence to make an arrest. If it's granted the accused abuser cannot contact the victim or possess guns, but there are many holes in the system that make getting a permanent order more challenging. Resources are tight although one officer to work part-time in the State Attorney's office to create more uniform policies around the state.

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Dick's Sporting Goods overhauled its gun policies after Parkland. The CEO didn't stop there.

Rachel Siegel

May 31, 2018 |

The Washington Post |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Parkland, Florida

In a response to the 2018 Parkland, Fla. shooting that killed 17 people, Dick's Sporting Goods removed guns from several locations around the country and carried on conversations with Congress about tighter gun laws. The sporting goods company, which sold a shotgun to the Parkland shooter before the shooting occurred, has taken a comprehensive approach in looking at the school shooting crisis around the country by reducing gun sales and working with legislators on firearm legislation.

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Meet the Judge Who Transformed California's Criminal Justice System

Abbie Vansickle

April 23, 2018 |

The Marshall Project |

Multi-Media |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, California

Using the catalyst approach, Judge Thelton Henderson was able to reform California prisons. He employed courts to change bureaucratic systems, and was moved by the idea that if you “encourage everyone involved to buy into a solution.. long-term change will happen.” Coupled with court orders, Henderson oversaw lawsuits involving overcrowding and inadequate medical services in prisons. A move that led to statewide change.

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When Iraqi women face discrimination, her legal clinic can help

Sara Manisera

March 23, 2018 |

The Christian Science Monitor |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: Iraq, Baghdad

The Shahrazad Center in Baghdad offers workshops and free legal services to women experiencing domestic abuse, violence, threats and gender-based discrimination. Lawyer Rajaa Abd Ali says, “Here we teach women their rights, because education is the most powerful weapon for them.”

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Hole in the Fence

Matt Kielty Latif Nasser Tracie Hunte Bethel Habte

March 23, 2018 |

WNYC |

Radio |

Over 15 Minutes

Response Location: United States, El Paso, Texas

In the 1980s the Mexican economy falls and a surge of undocumented immigrants begin crossing the Rio Grande river into El Paso, TX. Border Patrol agents begin stopping and questioning high school students near the border in Bowie High School. After one of the high school teachers finds out, the students began to organize, eventually suing border patrol for infringing on their constitutional rights. Ultimately, the high school students win a landmark civil rights case. “We couldn’t believe we took on the federal government and won.”

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With Marijuana Now Legal, L.A. Goes Further to Make Amends for the War on Drugs

Kevon Paynter

January 18, 2018 |

Yes! Magazine |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Los Angeles, California

After California legalized recreational use of marijuana, Los Angeles took the initiative even further to address the social and systemic inequity caused by the war on drugs of communities of color. The city undertook criminal justice reforms like clinics to help people expunge their records, and economic reforms like prioritizing those with past convictions to receive licenses to own and operate dispensaries. Furthermore, LA is practicing restorative justice by directing the tax revenue created by this sector back into the neighborhoods that were deeply affected in the past.

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Participatory Defense

Thomas Fox Parry

November 29, 2017 |

The Philadelphia Citizen |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

While there are many factors that have contributed to the sky high incarceration rates in the United States which have left prisons bursting at the seams, one of the causes remains the simple fact that the resources of a private prosecutor vastly outweigh those of publicly-funded defense attorneys.

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