Tennessee photographer Stacy Kranitz is attracting attention for her visceral photos of life in Appalachia and the South. Sometimes her photos are hard to look at, but they’re always compelling. That’s the case with a project published earlier this year. ProPublica’s story, “The Year After a Denied Abortion,” follows a young family in Tennessee.
Law Enforcement, Community Organizers Meet to Discuss Juvenile Justice Reform
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Juvenile justice reform brought law enforcement and community organizers together last week in Charleston. The discussion focused on a diversion program for juvenile offenders in Florida that could be an example for communities in West Virginia.
The American Civil Liberties Union of West Virginia hosted the talk. Dewey Caruthers spoke about a program he facilitated in Florida that issues civil citations — instead of arrests.
“The mission is to use juvenile civil citations to increase public safety, improve youth outcomes and save taxpayer money.”
Caruthers says the civil citation programs can reduce the number of children who go on to commit another crime. They see if people need treatment for addiction or other mental-health issues, and help them build life skills, and undergo community service, instead of just being locked away.
Stephanie Bond is director of the West Virginia Division of Juvenile Services, and she attended the discussion. She said it’s important that more people who commit crimes actually develop a trust for the justice system — and not feel betrayed.
“If they feel that they were treated fairly by the police, the court system, you’ll see rates go down. If they feel that they were being mistreated or treated unfairly, there’s a greater chance for them to re-offend,” said Bond.
The National Institute of Corrections released a study in 2008 that supports that theory- that the perception offenders have of how they were treated by the justice system can affect recidivism rates.
Bond said she thinks the idea of civil citation programs is an interesting concept, and she thinks West Virginians could benefit from any program that helps reduce the number of children who are pulled away from their homes.
This week the U.S. Department of Education is launching a multimillion-dollar program to help boost the completion of FAFSA nationwide. We’ll also learn more about the state’s largest methamphetamine seizure in history. And we’ll hear about a rupture in the Mountain Valley Pipeline during a pressure test.
Winners of the 2023 Virginias Associated Press Broadcasters Awards were announced March 23 at the Awards Luncheon and Annual Membership Meeting at The Greenbrier Resort in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia. WVPB brought home five first place awards and seven second place awards in eight different categories.
West Virginia Public Broadcasting’s News Department has secured 11 nominations in eight categories in the 2023 Virginias Associated Press Broadcasters annual awards competition. This competition includes the best radio and television stations in both West Virginia and Virginia.