Dozens of mentally incompetent men and women have died awaiting placement in a state hospital, and thousands more have been left for months in jail waiting for a state hospital bed.
Health Equity & Social Justice
Meanwhile, local reporters are detailing the impacts of ongoing public health funding cuts in their own communities.
Glynn Simmons and Richard Phillips were exonerated after decades in prison. Their stories reflect huge disparities in who serves time in prison for crimes they did not commit.
Also this week: Studies reveal rural health gaps and heat-linked aging, and EPA cuts pose particular health risks for minority communities.
Funded by a city grant, nine unhoused families at Everett Middle School receive a guaranteed monthly income of $1,000 — part of an experimental program aimed at helping families escape homelessness. This financial aid, the school hopes, will help improve students' mental health and academic performance.
Harsh policies targeting unhoused people in the so-called sanctuary city ensnare newly arrived migrants, who now have fewer places to turn for shelter and support.
The Kevin S. lawsuit settlement aimed to reform New Mexico’s foster care system, but progress has stalled. An arbitrator ruled the state failed to meet commitments, leading to new deadlines for reform.
An Oklahoma lawmaker proposed legislation last month that would make it a crime, punishable by up to a year in jail, for anyone caught in possession of a stolen shopping cart.
Reporter Hanisha Harjani visits Ohio during "Trans Day of Remembrance" this past November and asks people how they were getting ready for the next four years.