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A day to expunge criminal records is hugely popular in Philly

Jane M. Von Bergen

November 11, 2016 |

The Philadelphia Inquirer (Philadelphia Media Network) |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

In Pennsylvania, people with certain types of misdemeanors can ask the courts to seal their records from public view. When this law was passed, a team of 175 lawyers, paralegals, and law students volunteered to help eligible people start the process of sealing their records. The event was a big hit with 1,853 people signing up for help, so many that registration had to close. Of the applicants, 1,200 will likely get their records sealed.

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‘We Failed Him': Caught in the Revolving Door of Juvenile Detention

Tim Summers, Jr.

November 09, 2016 |

Jackson Free Press |

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Over 3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Jackson, Mississippi

If juveniles in the Hinds County youth-court system, whose families tend to have limited resources, cannot get sustained, meaningful help at the center, they do not have many other options. But, thanks to a lawsuit on behalf of the juveniles in the facility, the county is starting to address the lack of mental-health services - whether in facilities or starting at home with the family.

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Prisoners With Hep C Get Cured In Some States But Not Others

Anna Maria Barry-Jester

October 13, 2016 |

FiveThirtyEight |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Pennsylvania

Currently, debates are ongoing about what to do with the substantial number of US prisoners with Hepatitis C. This piece highlights successful legal action in Pennsylvania that ensured costly treatment for prisoners.

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Court Innovations' Matterhorn Allows People to Handle Court Cases Online

Stephen St.Vincent

October 12, 2016 |

The Philadelphia Citizen |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Ann Arbor, Michigan

Low-income people often miss out on court dates because they cannot afford to miss work or leave their children. Michigan and Ohio courts have incorporated the Matterhorn “online adjudication system” to handle simple cases so individuals can participate through the Internet. The system also offers the advantage of having “less bias” than in-person trials, because the race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status of the individual is protected online.

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Chicago Renters Back ‘ROOTS' as Solution to Affordable Housing

Chloe Riley

September 21, 2016 |

Equal Voice News |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Chicago, Illinois

Communities United a grassroots organizations in Chicago is solving the city's housing crisis with a program called ROOTS (Renters Organizing Ourselves to Stay). The organization is bringing together financiers, development organizations and partners to make housing more affordable. ROOTS managed to significantly improve renters' rights law by making amendments to the city’s affordable housing ordinance.

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In Uganda, Fostering a World without Adoption

Kathryn Joyce

September 06, 2016 |

Bright Magazine |

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Over 3000 Words

Response Location: Uganda

In Uganda, where international adoptions and orphanages are the most present form of child welfare, nonprofits like Reunite, Alternative Care Initiatives-Uganda, and CALM Africa are shifting the country to a welfare model focused on family reunification and community-based foster care. Although pilot programs are still small, there is also a focus on closing technical loopholes and providing practical support to encourage foster care programs.

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The Rent Is Now Somewhat Less High in Paris

Feargus O'Sullivan

August 03, 2016 |

Bloomberg CityLab |

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Under 800 Words

Response Location: France, Paris

France’s cities, including Paris, are among the world’s most expensive to live in. In 2015, France passed rent control laws that restrict outlandish rent increases through the Rent Observatory that oversees the different zones and contracts, as well as a website that tells residents if their prospective landlords are charging too much. One year later, the regulations have been effective at controlling the rent by 30% in Paris.

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Seattle-area Somali community unites to embrace state's new child-care standards

John Higgins

July 09, 2016 |

The Seattle Times |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Seattle, Washington

When Washington state introduced higher standards for child care, many feared that home-based centers, including those run by women from Somalia, would close. But a group spearheaded by nonprofit Voices of Tomorrow arranged for training and materials in East African languages, helping a stunning 94 percent of providers to acquire the necessary license and to keep their centers - vital especially for low-income, immigrant families - open for business.

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Henley-Young Must Release Kids After 21 Days; Some Disappearing?

Tim Summers, Jr.

June 08, 2016 |

Jackson Free Press |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Jackson, Mississippi

A consent decree ensures juveniles are not held more than 21 days in a Jackson, Miss., facility that was the subject of a lawsuit over the number of children it held and the conditions they faced. But opponents, including a youth court judge, say this is not solving the underlying problems facing the young offenders and even the plaintiffs in the suit says the larger issue is the approach to juvenile justice in the state.

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Legal Aid With a Digital Twist

Tina Rosenberg

June 01, 2016 |

The New York Times |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, New York, New York

Software and apps are helping millions of Americans trying to solve civil problems on their own.

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