Skip to main content
  • Who We Are
    Mission Respectful & Helpful Ethics Team Board of Directors Funders & Supporters Annual Reports & Financials Careers
  • Impact
    Impact Stories How Solutions Journalism Rebalances the News
  • Programs
    Climate Democracy Youth Mental Health Addressing Health Disparities Africa Initiative Beacons Complicating the Narratives Educator Academies Student Media Challenge University Hubs
  • Learning Lab
    Toolkits & Guides Events Trainers All Resources
  • Directory
  • Solutions Story Tracker
  • What You Can Do
    Explore Our Programs See Upcoming Events & Opportunities Join the Directory Teach Solutions Journalism Become an Accredited Trainer Get Solutions Stories in your Inbox Amplify Solutions in Your Community
  • Events
  • News
  • Blog
  • Solutions Insights Lab
  • My Profile
  • Donate
sjweb-ci home
  • Events
  • News
  • Blog
  • Solutions Insights Lab
  • My Profile
  • Donate
  • Who We Are
    Mission Respectful & Helpful Ethics Team Board of Directors Funders & Supporters Annual Reports & Financials Careers
  • Impact
    Impact Stories How Solutions Journalism Rebalances the News
  • Programs
    Climate Democracy Youth Mental Health Addressing Health Disparities Africa Initiative Beacons Complicating the Narratives Educator Academies Student Media Challenge University Hubs
  • Learning Lab
    Toolkits & Guides Events Trainers All Resources
  • Directory
  • Solutions Story Tracker
  • What You Can Do
    Explore Our Programs See Upcoming Events & Opportunities Join the Directory Teach Solutions Journalism Become an Accredited Trainer Get Solutions Stories in your Inbox Amplify Solutions in Your Community
  • Who We Are
    Mission Respectful & Helpful Ethics Team Board of Directors Funders & Supporters Annual Reports & Financials Careers
  • Impact
    Impact Stories How Solutions Journalism Rebalances the News
  • Programs
    Climate Democracy Youth Mental Health Addressing Health Disparities Africa Initiative Beacons Complicating the Narratives Educator Academies Student Media Challenge University Hubs
  • Learning Lab
    Toolkits & Guides Events Trainers All Resources
  • Directory
  • Solutions Story Tracker
  • What You Can Do
    Explore Our Programs See Upcoming Events & Opportunities Join the Directory Teach Solutions Journalism Become an Accredited Trainer Get Solutions Stories in your Inbox Amplify Solutions in Your Community
  • Events
  • News
  • Blog
  • Solutions Insights Lab
  • My Profile
  • Donate

Create A New Collection

Collections are versatile, powerful and simple to create. From a customized course reader to an action-guide for an upcoming service-learning trip, collections illuminate themes, guide inquiry, and provide context for how people around the worls are responding to social challenges.

  • Name and describe your collection

  • Add Stories

  • Add external links at any time

  • Add to your collection over time and share!

1. Name your collection

Sorry, a Collection with that title already exists.

Sorry, a Collection must have a title.

2. Add Stories

Add stories to your collection from your list of Favorites below, or add stories directly to a collection from Search or Discovery. Anytime you see the collection icon you can add a story. Just click the icon and follow the instructions on your screen.

Add story from saved

You've selected a story to add to a collection

Which collection to you want to add this story to?

Successfully added!

Solutions Story Tracker®

Welcome to a curated database of rigorous reporting on responses to social problems.

15,700 stories produced by 8,900 journalists and 2,000 news outlets from 89 countries. The stories cover responses in 192 countries, in 17 languages. This resource is made possible because of a growing movement of journalists who use solutions journalism to illuminate both problems and evidence-based responses to them.

Learn more about the Solutions Story Tracker.


See Latest Stories
Advanced filters

Search Results

You searched for:  -

There are 294 results  for your search.  View and Refine Your Search Terms

  • ‘We're writing the book' - McCracken jail sees strong early success from vocational programs

    Dave Thompson
    2020-08-14 18:03:24 UTC
    0

    August 09, 2020 |

    The Paducah Sun |

    Text |

    Under 800 Words

    Response Location: United States, Paducah, Kentucky

    Vocational training and life skills classes at the McCracken County Regional Jail help prepare incarcerated people for stable jobs and living situations once they are released. Of the first 16 to complete vocational training, none have returned to jail and 12 are employed, despite the poor job market during the pandemic. Though the results so far are small and early, jail officials are working to expand the available programs to more people. Particularly useful not only to the incarcerated people but also to their families are cognitive skills classes, which vocational students are required to take as well.

    Read More

    • 10905

    Go to Original Story
  • Prison Voicemail: Messages from behind bars

    Ruth Evans
    2020-08-19 13:10:29 UTC
    0

    August 04, 2020 |

    BBC |

    Podcast |

    Over 15 Minutes

    Response Location: England

    Prison Voicemail is a smartphone app that lets incarcerated people in the UK stay connected to their families, improving their mental outlook while imprisoned and their chances of success once they're released. The fee-based app closes gaps left by ordinary pay phones and other means of communication by letting people communicate through recorded messages, rather than when they both happen to be available. Sound clips of families talking in this podcast drive home the profound personal impact of children and parents sharing the routine news of their lives across the barrier of prison walls.

    Read More

    • 10931

    Go to Original Story
  • Here's a radical idea that will change policing, transform prisons and reduce crime: treat criminals like human beings

    Rutger Bregman
    2020-08-07 15:10:45 UTC
    0

    July 31, 2020 |

    The Correspondent |

    Text |

    Over 3000 Words

    Response Location: Norway

    Comparing Norway's and the United States' approaches to prisons and policing puts the lie to the American notion that being tough and unrelentingly punitive effectively addresses crime. In Norway, even people imprisoned for violent crimes, in maximum-security prisons, are treated with respect and kindness, with privileges that would be unthinkable in most American prisons. The results are telling: Norway's recidivism rate, the lowest in the world, is less than one-third of the U.S. rate. While prison costs are far higher per capita, the ultimate costs in lower crime make the Norwegian approach affordable.

    Read More

    • 10847

    Go to Original Story
  • As Prisons Cancel Visitation, The Phone Line Becomes A Life Line

    Amanda Peacher
    2020-08-05 13:24:18 UTC
    0

    July 27, 2020 |

    Boise State Public Radio (KBSX) |

    Radio |

    3-5 Minutes

    Response Location: United States, Utah

    To alleviate the isolating effects of COVID-19 restrictions in prisons barring outside visitors, some prisons have encouraged phone and video contact with family by waiving the fees normally charged for such services. In Utah, the first 10 calls per week are free. Federal prisons have waived the charges entirely. Maintaining healthy family relationships has been shown to relieve prisoners' loneliness and anxiety, which equates to better behavior. And it reduces future lawbreaking by strengthening bonds that help in finding housing and jobs once the prisoners are released.

    Read More

    • 10835

    Go to Original Story
  • Inmate-Made Masks Help Community and Those Incarcerated, Jailer Says

    Liz Carey
    2021-01-12 15:27:13 UTC
    0

    July 09, 2020 |

    The Daily Yonder |

    Text |

    800-1500 Words

    Response Location: United States, Versailles, Kentucky

    When a pandemic lockdown idled the men jailed at Woodford County Detention Center, they replaced the jobs they previously had performed in the community with work in the jail that served an immediate need: sewing protective masks. They sewed more than 28,000 masks in the first four months of the pandemic, using donated clothing as the fabric and distributing them at no cost. While the incarcerated men were paid little for their work, they said they benefited with new skills, staying active, and feeling pride in their community service.

    Read More

    • 12120

    Go to Original Story
  • How Centre County Correctional Facility has adjusted amid the coronavirus pandemic

    Christina Baker
    2020-05-28 14:15:19 UTC
    0

    May 25, 2020 |

    The Daily Collegian |

    Text |

    800-1500 Words

    Response Location: United States, Bellefont, Pennsylvania

    Centre County, Pa., jail officials limited the spread of coronavirus inside its facility with extensive testing of all incarcerated people and staff, isolating those with the virus, barring visitors, and working with a coalition of court and law enforcement agencies to reduce the jail population. The jail, near State College, Pa., took action early with educational sessions and a rigorous cleaning regimen. Re-entry programs stepped up efforts to find housing for those released from the jail, although job prospects for them are bleak.

    Read More

    • 10204

    Go to Original Story
  • Solutions to restore inmates' mental health and get them to trial

    David Barer
    2020-05-26 20:51:18 UTC
    0

    May 17, 2020 |

    KXAN-TV |

    Broadcast TV News |

    800-1500 Words

    Response Location: United States, Texas

    In Texas, legislators and advocates are working to address mental health concerns for individuals entering or in the criminal justice system. For those already in jail, telepsychiatry is being offered to help rehabilitate inmates. For those just entering the system, a mental health court in Travis County has been developed to connect people with needed mental health services so that they can stand trial and even have their cases dismissed.

    Read More

    • 10173

    Go to Original Story
  • Locked In Limbo: Jail-based Competency Restoration

    Josh Hinkle
    2020-05-21 19:58:34 UTC
    0

    May 17, 2020 |

    KXAN-TV |

    Broadcast TV News |

    3-5 Minutes

    Response Location: United States, Lubbock, Texas

    Experts, advocates, and lawmakers are working within the Texas prison system to help individuals experiencing incarceration access mental health care. A promising practice has been the use of telepsychiatry, or virtual therapy, which has seen a nearly 50% success rate. While efforts are being made, it’s being done in pieces and without scaled, statewide support.

    Read More

    • 10103

    Go to Original Story
  • Connecting With Incarcerated Parents Is Easier With Photo Patch, an App Developed By a Teen

    Vikki Law
    2020-05-21 21:45:42 UTC
    0

    May 13, 2020 |

    Teen Vogue |

    Text |

    800-1500 Words

    Response Location: United States, New York

    The Photo Patch Foundation helps connect children with parents who are experiencing incarceration. Using its website or mobile app, children can write letters and upload photos, which will then be printed and mailed by the organization at no cost. The Foundation, funded by donations and grants, was created by a father-daughter duo who had experienced the issue firsthand.

    Read More

    • 10108

    Go to Original Story
  • Mothers flourish with sister's support after incarceration

    Chris Herlinger
    2020-07-27 11:20:56 UTC
    0

    May 07, 2020 |

    Global Sisters Report |

    Text |

    1500-3000 Words

    Response Location: United States, New York, New York

    Hour Children is one of several programs throughout the U.S. that focuses on employing "God-given dignity" to help incarcerated mothers maintain relationships with their children and find sustainable futures after their sentences have ended. The latter goal is achieved through the ministry's year-long employment and job-training program. Although it is uncertain how the program will proceed during the Covid-19 pandemic, for the last three years, a local manufacturing company has consistently hired alumni from the program due to their training.

    Read More

    • 10771

    Go to Original Story
    PREV … 10 11 12 13 14 … NEXT
Please sign in via My Profile before submitting a story. This will allow you to view the status of your submission and get notified if the story is added to the Solutions Story Tracker®.
Filter your search by the language of the story. As the Solutions Story Tracker grows, we are working to include more stories in more languages. Your story submissions can help! Submit stories here.
These factors identify the ways communities overcome the big challenges and help you see the insights. Learn more about the Success Factors here.

Solutions Journalism Around the World

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur adipiscing elit. Dolor sit amet consectetur adipiscing elit quisque faucibus.

Solutions In Focus

Discover curated content about themes that matter to you, exclusively from the Solutions Story Tracker. Explore collections, resources and more.

  • Climate Solutions

  • Advancing Democracy

  • Youth Mental Health


Go to All Solutions in Focus

More Options

  • magnifying glass

    Video Tutorials

    Learn how to find what you need in the Solutions Story Tracker in español and in français.

  • paper and pen

    Submission Guidelines

    This database is powered by user submissions. Submit a story.

  • newspaper with an exclamation point

    Custom Story Alerts

    Get notified when new stories match your interests by setting up custom story alerts in My Profile.

two people are surrounded by question marks

Solutions Story Tracker® FAQ

  • Solutions journalism…
    • Describes a response to a problem and how it works.
    • Seeks to draw out insights that explain success or failure.
    • Presents the available evidence about the effectiveness of a response.
    • Explains the shortcomings or limitations of the response.
    Learn more.
  • The Solutions Story Tracker® is a curated, searchable database of solutions journalism stories — rigorous reporting about responses to social problems. We vet and tag every story in the Story Tracker, which offers an inspiring and useful collection of the thousands of ways people are working to solve problems around the world.

  • You can learn more about how we source, vet, and tag stories here, as well as how we share them. We also have video tutorials in Spanish and French that show how to use the Solutions Story Tracker to find what you need.

  • Story collections are curated by our staff or other partners to explore a theme, pattern, or trend via selected solutions stories and external resources. Some story collections focus on an in-depth exploration of a topic with solutions journalism; others highlight journalists and how they report on topics. Certain story collections include discussion questions and notes, so that educators and community discussion leaders can lead learners to fully engage with the stories.

  • The Solutions Story Tracker® is powered by user submissions. We encourage submissions from journalists, as well as from anyone who has an eye for solutions journalism. Click here to submit. (Why submit? So many reasons!)

  • You can submit a story directly on the Solutions Story Tracker®. You will be prompted to register or log into the Solutions Journalism Network website, if you are already logged in. (It is free to register!) Logging in allows you to track the status of your submissions under My Profile, as well as save your favorite stories, create story collections and story alerts, and access other helpful features of our website.

  • After you submit a story to us and assign it a topic, it is sent to one of our Solutions Story Tracker team members. Our team member evaluates the story for the four qualities of solutions journalism, and on the basics: The story must come from a news outlet and have a date and a byline. If the story meets our criteria, our team tags it accordingly and adds it to the database. If the story falls short of the mark, our team will include the reason why. We include stories in the Story Tracker that meet our standards of solutions journalism. Inclusion does not mean we support the initiatives, policies, organizations or approaches featured in those stories.

    Discover common reasons why a story may miss the mark for inclusion in the Solutions Story Tracker®.

    Learn more about the history of the database.

  • Solutions Journalism Network features these stories in the searchable database making them publicly accessible to anyone who wants to search for rigorous reporting on solutions to social problems. Any story that is added has the potential to make more impact than its original purpose. Added stories are used in journalism trainings, school curricula, research projects, and independent analysis on issue area trends. This now includes artificial intelligence tools, which are applied for educational value to find stories and support story vetting, as well as to extract insights from the stories. SJN has digital products and newsletters that give new life and exposure to the stories meeting people where they are at. Story data also is used to develop innovative tools to reach the general public with solutions journalism as well as some specific research projects requested by researchers. If you have any questions or concerns about our use of story data or added stories, please contact Lita Tirak.

  • News outlets determine whether all users can access their stories — and some limit the number of stories that anyone can view, or require a subscription. The majority of stories in the database can be accessed for free.

  • We work with journalists, academic researchers and others who feel that our database will support their research. We are especially interested in research that seeks to develop new insights about solutions journalism and its spread and its impact on social problems. Please complete all sections of the Data Request Form, and we will contact you to discuss your request in greater detail.

  • We do not fact-check the stories in the Solutions Story Tracker®. We do ensure that each story comes from a credible news source that has its own editorial infrastructure.

  • We worked with Tara Pixley and Jovelle Tamayo of the Authority Collective, who developed a guide for using equitable visuals. We follow this guide when choosing images for our website.

  • We welcome your feedback and additional questions. Please use this form to get in touch.

Site logo

  • BlueSky
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube
  • The Whole Story
  • Flipboard
  • Instagram
  • Contact Us
  • Accessibility
  • Copyright
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy
© 2025 Solutions Journalism Network. All rights reserved.

Share

  • share on facebook
  • share via email
  • Copied!