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

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  • Federal program to aid low-income areas ready for local investors

    Since the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act passed, investors, community leaders, and local governments have been talking about Opportunity Zones. These are low-income areas in each state--Alabama has 150--that will incentivize investor spending by providing tax breaks for longer-term investment in areas typically not on the highest priority list for traditional investors. Montgomery, Alabama is seeking input from local groups on where funding can best be spent. Though the opportunity zones legislation is in its early days, many are excited about the potential to stimulate economic growth.

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  • Youth Need Community-Based Treatment, Not Jails

    The number of youth confined in U.S. detention facilities has dropped by nearly half since 1997, saving money and reducing recidivism. A report by the Justice Policy Institute says this has made communities safer, but that reductions are only among those accused of nonviolent crimes and that racial and ethnic disparities have increased. The report calls for changes, such as repealing state laws on mandatory sentences, offering better probation supervision and creating more diversion options.

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  • Can New Zealand Provide the U.S. With a Model for Juvenile Justice Reform?

    New Zealand introduced restorative justice practices for juveniles in their criminal justice system after incredibly high rates of child incarceration and an over-representation of minorities. The practice, in places since the late 80's, includes youth justice councils and limits police arrests. The "overall number of youth arrested, charged, and incarcerated" has fallen, but there is still disproportionate representation of minority groups in the system.

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  • Companies open doors to talent with autism

    Companies like Microsoft are intentionally recruiting candidates with autism, creating new interview processes and mentorship programs to help those employees thrive in jobs in programming, cybersecurity, and more. The approach is catching on as more well-known companies are looking for ways to making working more accessible.

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  • Restoring Ex-Convicts' Voting Rights

    A digital tool called Restore Your Vote launched in the summer of 2018 to help ex-convicts understand their voting restoration status after re-integrating into society. The initiative, which has been piloted in Alabama, aims to reduce disenfranchisement in ex-convict communities by targeting unclear language, misinformation, and lack of access to education.

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  • Tel Aviv tries to connect an isolated neighborhood

    The goal of The Platform, a new entrepreneurship and coworking hub in a struggling area of Tel Aviv, “is to start solving big as well as local urban problems through social-technological entrepreneurship.” The tech accelerator it offers has spurred the development of an app intended to bring neighbors together as well as a special type of motion sensor that helps people with physical disabilities. The coworking space portion provides a gathering and event space for skills training and more. The founders are even hoping other cities will adopt this model.

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  • Alaska Gives Cash To Citizens Every Year. The Rest Of The U.S. Could Too.

    In Alaska, a highly popular version of Basic Income gives residents between $1000 and $3000 a month. Although this wealth fund, and similar ones in countries like Norway, have been considered, critics argue that it wouldn't work in an American context.

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  • Hey, Can We Talk? Mediation Might Help Reduce Evictions

    In Madison, Wisconsin, encouraging mediation and dispute-resolution between tenants and landlords has helped to limit evictions and San Francisco is looking to scale the model. Mediation helps build a relationship between the two parties in a dispute to help prevent more serious consequences like evictions and help both tenant and landlord solve problems, but the waiting list is long and the option is not available to everyone. Even then, encouraging the process would save money for all parties involved by limiting legal disputes.

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  • Voters OK'd Legal Aid for Tenants Facing Eviction — Now Comes the Hard Part

    Proposition F, passed in 2018 with an implementation deadline of July 2019, cements San Francisco as a key advocate in making legal representation accessible, especially in eviction cases. By passing a similar measure to one passed in New York, all renters now are eligible for legal counsel in eviction cases, regardless of their income level. The program is still in the early stages, but there is a potential for cost savings, too. With fewer evictions, there will likely be a lower demand for homeless and jail services.

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  • The prison-to-college pipeline

    The "New Jersey-STEP" program enables inmates and formerly incarcerated individuals to use Pell Grant dollars towards a degree at several in-state schools. Unlike most other prison-to-college initiatives, STEP allows students to transfer credits earned during incarceration. And it's also a plus for universities - schools like Rutgers are benefiting from more tuition dollars at a time when many are experiencing decreasing enrollments.

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