70 Million: When a State Treats Drug Addiction Like a Health Issue, Not a Crime
A year ago, Oregon became the first state to decriminalize drug possession. The goal is to reverse some of the negative impacts of the War on Drugs by approaching drug use from a health-centered basis. Reporter Cecilia Brown visits an addiction and recovery center in Portland that’s gearing up for what they hope will be an influx of people seeking treatment. Image Credit: Miracles Club Like this program? Please click here and...
70 Million: Taking Mental Health Crises Out of Police Hands
Making Contact · 70 Million: Taking Mental Health Crises Out of Police Hands Police encounters during a mental health crisis have a greater chance of turning deadly if you’re Black. New response mechanisms bypass law enforcement and result in helpful interventions. Reporter Jenee Darden looks at how folks in Northern California are trying to reimagine crisis response services. Image Caption and Credit: Asantewaa Boykin,...
70 Million: Where Juvenile Detention Looks More Like Hanging Out
Making Contact · 70 Million: Where Juvenile Detention Looks More Like Hanging Out There’s a place in rural St. Johns, Arizona, where teens who have encounters with officers of the law can play pool, make music, and get mentored instead of going to jail. It’s called The Loft, and it’s the brainchild of a judge who wanted to save the county hundreds of millions of dollars and divert young people towards the support many were not...
70 Million: How Black Women Are Rightfully “Taking Seats at the Table”
Making Contact · 70 Million: How Black Women Are Rightfully “Taking Seats at the Table” Nearly one in two Black women in the US have a loved one who has been impacted by our prison system. Many become de facto civilian experts as a result. Some rise to lead as catalysts for change. And now, scores of Black women are joining the ranks—as officers of the court, police, and judges—to manage and advance a system that has had such...
Lessons From Defund the Police
Making Contact · Lessons From Defund the Police It’s been a year since the call to “Defund the Police” rang out through the George Floyd Protests. The idea isn’t new – redistributing police funds into community projects that better support healthy communities -but, it’s never been as popular and forceful. Cities across the country have pledged to invest in mental health services, restorative...
A Thin Black Line: Press Freedom, Repression, and Surveillance
Making Contact · A Thin Black Line: Press Freedom, Repression, and Surveillance Journalists have been violently targeted by police and arrested alongside demonstrators at Black Lives Matter protests across the country. In this episode we’ll look at the struggle for press freedoms during a time of repression and surveillance. Image Caption: “A U.S. Park Service Police Officer takes video of spectators observing an incident...
The Bombing of MOVE, 35 Years Later (Updated)
Making Contact · The Bombing of MOVE, 35 Years Later (Updated) Our radio adaptation of the film, Let the Fire Burn explores the controversial, 1985 clash between police in Philadelphia and MOVE, a radical, non-violent, back-to-nature group. After a standoff with the group MOVE, Philadelphia Police dropped a bomb on the roof of MOVE’s home, killing 11 people including five children, and destroying approximately 61 homes....
The End of Policing, Alex Vitale
Making Contact · The End of Policing, Alex Vitale (Encore) Alex Vitale is Professor of Sociology and coordinator of the Policing and Social Justice Project at Brooklyn College. Vitale’s book The End of Policing, is an accessible study of police history as an imperial tool for social control that continues to exacerbate class and racial tensions. Vitale also goes deep into the shortcomings of reform and in contrast,...
Your Home, Your Right… or My Business?
California’s fight over rent control. Access to affordable housing is an ongoing concern throughout the country. This week, Making Contact looks at California’s fight over rent control. The stage is set for a political battle between two polar world views. Is housing a human right, or is real estate property an investment commodity? And where on that continuum is California’s common ground? A statewide initiative, if approved, would...
Your Home, Your Right… or My Business?
Like this program? Please show us the love. Click here and support our non-profit journalism. Thanks! Making Contact looks at California’s fight over rent control. The stage is set for a political battle between two worldviews. Is housing a human right, or is real estate property an investment commodity? And where on that continuum is California’s common ground? What does this mean for housing nationally? A statewide initiative, if...
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