What Happened When America Emptied Its Youth Prisons Lessons from a radical 20-year experiment and a quiet triumph of public policy.

America has been emptying youth prisons for more than 20 years, and crime has dropped. It is a triumph of public policy, writes James Forman Jr.

Trump Administration Orders Sudden Freeze on Federal Aid The directive from the Office of Management and Budget is poised to touch major programs from child nutrition to rental assistance.

A new order by President Donald Trump to temporarily freeze all federal financial assistance programs, as the admin seeks to eliminate funding for "DEI, woke gender ideology and the green new deal," could have a big impact on state budgets.
www.notus.org/policy/trump...

White House pauses all federal grants, sparking confusion The Trump administration has put a hold on all federal financial grants and loans, affecting tens of billions of dollars in payments.

I think some people hear “grants” and think that without them, scientists and government workers just have less stuff to play with at work. But grants fund salaries for students, academics, researchers, and people who work in all areas of public service.

“Pausing” grants means people don’t eat.

It was such a treat to be in the PA State Capitol building earlier today to highlight a $2.5M federal NSAKI grant PCCD was recently awarded to build + implement an automated statewide sexual assault kit tracking system, in partnership with the PA Dept. of Health, PA State Police + PCAR.

Vital City | A Better Conversation on Guns For the U.S. to make lasting progress against firearm violence, it must change the way it talks about — and talks to — people who carry.

I've spent the last couple of years w/ young people in Chicago for research on illegal gun carrying. Here're reflections from them (& seasoned experts) and how they've reshaped my thinking on gun research and policy. vitalcitynyc.org/articles/a-better-conversation-on-guns @vitalcitynyc.bsky.social

How Michigan Stopped Saddling Children with Millions in Court Debt Last year, Michigan stopped imposing court fines and fees on kids, and relieved millions of dollars in past debt. Now, it may also ensure that kids get adequate representation in court.

By the time one Michigan county had abolished juvenile court debt, it was owed $92 million in unpaid fines. It had charged $11.7 million between 2017–2019 alone, including one father who racked up $100,000 in debt because of his child’s arrest.
boltsmag.org/michiga...

The Year in Gun Violence Solutions Over the past year and a half, this newsletter has spent a lot of time covering gun violence prevention policy in the nation’s capital. There’s been good reason for that. Under the Biden…

Under the Biden administration, the federal government has consistently tried to move the needle on gun violence. While some of those initiatives may be reversed under President-elect Donald Trump, not all of the progress can easily be undone. Here are the highlights.

"Domestic violence is rooted in power and control, and pregnancy is a tether that can shift a relationship’s dynamic." Powerful, necessary read from @nytopinion.nytimes.com on increased risk of homicide among pregnant women.

I have an op-ed in the NYT today about how to reduce crime.

The key idea, based on decades of strong research evidence: focus on increasing the probability of getting caught, not the punishment.

www.nytimes.com/2024/12/07/o...

Defined and Diminished by Gun Violence Centuries of inequitable social policy have kept Black Philadelphians dying at disproportionately high rates.

“I thought his death would have made a change,” Arnold told Mensah. “It did for a while. For a while. But that was it.”

I hope you'll read Defined and Diminished by Gun Violence, published today in partnership with @inquirer.com. www.thetrace.org/2024/12/gun-...

Proof that from skeptical beginnings, a beautiful friendship can emerge. 💙

#catsanddogs #catsofbluesky #dogsofbluesky #bordercollie

Supreme Court poised to enter fray over regulation of flavored vapes The Food and Drug Administration has rejected some products because of concerns about youth users.

The Supreme Court is scheduled Monday to consider the regulation of flavored e-cigarettes in a case that illustrates an enduring public health conundrum: how to keep kids away from sweet-flavored, addictive vapes while giving adult smokers better options to help them quit cigarettes.

I accidentally bought some books today and you know what, it did fix me temporarily

Pennsylvania awards $120 million in school-based mental health and safety grants • Pennsylvania Capital-Star The Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency announced mental health and safety grants for hundreds of private schools.

Pennsylvania awards $120 million in school-based mental health and safety grants https://buff.ly/4ibb1uA via @PennCapitalStar

Be still my heart. I'm biased, but these two are the cutest critters around. 💖

#caturday #dogsofbluesky #catsofbluesky #bordercollie

In a Deep-Red State, This Lieutenant's Blueprint for Removing Guns From Abusers Is Spreading On February 2, 2023, when the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals announced its decision to strike down the federal law banning domestic abusers under protective orders from possessing guns, Lieutenant…

Lieutenant Valerie Martinez-Jordan has trained over 2,000 officers in a program in deep-red Louisiana to prevent abusers from accessing firearms. Her blueprint is spreading even as federal laws become looser.

📸 Scenes from this very excellent week... My most photogenic pie crust ever, Loki's "OMG turkey" face, a very excellent Thanksgiving table, and our family's annual Turkey Bowl (with mascot, Walter).

The Triumph of the Post-Thanksgiving Sandwich After the big meal, alone with your refrigerator, let the real celebration begin.

“The Thanksgiving-leftovers sandwich is a continuation of the holiday ritual, the festive meal’s third and final act: after preparation and presentation comes a dénouement of sandwichification,” @hels.bsky.social writes.

Things I'm grateful for this week: a happy home, meaningful work, and this goofy dude who keeps us on our toes. 💙

Good article - and an important distinction towards the lede: "We’re not talking about fines, those monetary punishments that judges impose on offenders. And this isn’t about restitution, which is an additional sanction intended to reimburse victims."

"In Philadelphia, ghost guns recovered from crimes fell 8 percent, too, from 575 in 2022 to 526 in 2023, and are down further this year, with the total standing at 370, the city’s Police Department said."

Facing Another Trump Presidency, Philadelphia Vows to Maintain Momentum Against Gun Violence City leaders who worked closely with the Biden administration are optimistic they can make further progress in reducing shootings after Trump takes office.

Philadelphia officials say they’re determined to continue driving down gun violence during the second Trump administration. But the city isn’t entirely immune to changes in the White House.

📢 We've made progress in addressing gun violence in PA, but there's still so much work ahead.

Tell us what you think we should focus on first. Complete PCCD's Stakeholder Feedback Survey to share your ideas on policies, programs + how funding can reduce gun violence.

bit.ly/47VDEax

Did you know that in 2022, compensation programs paid $300+ million to aid victims? However, new research highlights program administrators don't think they are reaching everyone in need. Check out the study by Center on Public Safety & Justice @norc.org colleagues + @urbaninstitute.bsky.social⤵️

To Prevent Suicide, States Want to Let People Ban Themselves From Buying Guns The suicide prevention measure is one of the few areas of gun policy where Republicans and Democrats can agree.

Donna’s Law, a suicide prevention measure that lets people temporarily ban themselves from buying firearms, has proven one of the few areas of gun policy where Republicans and Democrats can agree. A Trace survey shows how many people have used it.