A Special Sanctions Court in Texas, the "first of its kind in the state" according to a State District judge, will now offer first-time felons "alternative sentencing," reducing the number of probation revocations through closer monitoring of probationers. Probationers are required to report to the Court on either a weekly or bi-weekly basis to meet with the judge and probation department to discuss their progress. The court will now jail those who fail to appear for a short period of time rather than revoking their probation.

East Tennessee's Legal Aid Society and the police department's Weed and Seed program have partnered to create a free Saturday morning legal counseling clinic. The first of five federally funded sites in East Tennessee, the clinic provides legal services and information to the involved citizens through the volunteer efforts of local attorneys. County officials hope that, in addition to advising citizens on consumer, family, and housing law, the program will educate the involved citizens on how best to stay out of the civil and criminal justice system. Nationally, Weed and Seed is a comprehensive multi-agency strategy designed to "weed out" violent crime, gang activity, and drug use in targeted high-crime neighborhoods through efforts such as "...provid[ing] community education," according to Debra House of Legal Aid Society.

Operation Hope Inc. (OHI), a social investment bank and provider of financial literacy services, has opened a hybrid banking facility in cooperation with other banks in Northern California. The new Hope Center in Oakland's Fruitvale region provides financial literacy training, case management for potential homeowners and counsel for budding entrepreneurs in addition to traditional banking and ATM services. The facility will also contain a Cyber Cafe technology center with access to digital literacy resources and technology training programs. The hybrid initiative allows profit-making institutions to operate alongside social services. "This is a model partnership for corporate America in the 21st Century", stated OHI founder and CEO John Bryant. The project also hopes to spur economic revitalization efforts in the Fruitvale District.

The Massachusetts eHealth Collaborative, a coalition of insurers and medical providers, has provided PDAs armed with e-prescribing software to the non-profit Boston Health Care for the Homeless. This software transmits "patients' prescriptions electronically to the nearest pharmacy"; this breakthrough frees the group's street-team from having to carry paper slips or call pharmacies when they prescribe medicine for their patients. Now, they can instantly download and view their clients' medical histories, decide on the proper treatment, and send electronic prescriptions to local pharmacies. Many homeless persons often lose their prescriptions or forget to bring them to the pharmacy; health officials foresee a "huge improvement in quality" for the over 9,000 homeless patients that the group serves.

To decrease the death rate of fish due to power plant water usage in the Susquehanna River and elsewhere, new federal guidelines will soon impose stricter rules on these utilities. Noted environmentalist, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., emphasizes the damage power plants do; he states,"Using antiquated technology, power plants often suck up the entire fresh water volume of large rivers, killing obscene numbers of fish." Power plants will now need to assess the current level of damage to fish and find new ways to regulate water intake while keeping fish safe through marine-friendly screening techniques including "fish return systems."

Each year, the Innovations in American Government Awards Program gives $100,000 grants to five creative and effective government initiatives. To learn more about the Innovations Awards, please visit our website at www.innovationsaward.harvard.edu