Debates over effective voting policies have recently come into the spotlight, but it's been an issue for many elections now. America has a notorious history of low voter turnout, and with Covid-19 altering how and when Americans will be voting, the threat to democracy is ever-present. Engaging voters typically neglected and providing alternative voting methods can help combat the uncertainty.
Women who choose to stay in abusive relationships occupy a morally ambiguous identity category. They are at once pitied for their victimhood and shamed for their participation in it. Educating the public on how prevalent abuse actually is, and what their role can be in helping a victim is the first step towards safety for all.
The increased imposition of long and life sentences has caused growth in the jail and prison population over time, despite decreases in crime rates, and is an ineffective mechanism for producing public safety. Longer lengths of stay exacerbate existing social inequities in the administration of criminal justice, and incurs significant costs to the state without adequately deterring crime.
In the US, 83% of released state prisoners are arrested for a new offense at least once after their initial release. The justice system is failing people while incarcerated, and even more so with the complicated bureaucratic hoops they must jump through after their release.
Anti-homeless laws produce various forms of police interactions that fall short of arrest, yet have wide-ranging impacts on the urban poor. Laws and enforcement fail to reduce urban disorder, but create instead a spatial churn in which homeless people circulate between neighborhoods and police jurisdictions rather than leaving public space.
The amount of Child Sexual Abuse Materials (CSAM) on the internet is growing exponentially. We can only stop the spread of this abuse if everyone is prepared to identify it and report it. It is not just about looking for new victims. Some survivors who were rescued 20 years ago still have images traded daily online.
Digital abuse and harrasment with the proliferation of smartphones and greater web access is spreading rapidly in every country of the world, but laws to protect victims of cyber harassment and abuse have yet to catch up.
As society goes digital, citizens should aim to preserve openness. A society built on laws, free from disproportionate, unaccountable surveillance and censorship should be the goal. Ensuring that citizens and policymakers work together to protect the privacy of people while promoting the benefits of open data can change the world we live in.
A social media surgery is an informal gathering of people who want to learn how to use the web to communicate, campaign or collaborate. Surgeries are deliberately relaxed. There are no presentations, no jargon, and no lectures.
Over 700,000 children survive sexual abuse and neglect every year in the US, and more than 900 Child Advocacy Centers serve their needs. The first step in the process is the recording of forensic interviews to inform healing and the service of justice, without re-traumatizing the victim through retelling the story. These pieces of digital evidence need maximum security and privacy.