Colorado's Lifeline program helps long-term inmates lead productive lives out of prison. Modeled after a similar Canadian program and billed as the first-of-its-kind in the nation, Lifeline screens men and women over age 45 who are deemed as no longer posing a threat to society and prepares them for staged reintegration into the community. The program uses former prisoners as mentors to help inmates adjust to their new lives and incorporates the sentiments of victims' families in the decision-making process.

A "green revolution" in major companies is underway as they discover that environmentally friendly workspaces not only save on energy costs, but can also lead to a boost in worker productivity. Toyota has credited its rooftop solar panels, water recycling systems, and natural lighting for improving employee morale and reducing absenteeism. Other corporations are looking for office buildings that are free of toxin-emitting carpeting, paint, and other finishes. Some cities, such as Los Angeles and Chicago, encourage this trend by mandating that all new public buildings be green, and offer reduced permit fees and expedited construction approvals to private sector companies that follow suit.

In response to the ongoing revelations of steroid abuse among amateur and professional athletes, many high schools across the nation have either considered or begun testing for performance-enhancing drugs in their athletes. Football players, as well as debaters, cheerleaders, and other extracurricular participants, submit to random drug testing in Texas's Grapevine-Colleyville school district. And, recently, New Jersey has become the first state to randomly test for steroids in high school athletes during statewide tournaments.

Dove Creek, Colorado, is home to a pilot biodiesel plant that converts sunflowers into fuel for cars. Energy cooperative San Juan Biodiesel, in partnership with Colorado State University, local governments, private business, and farmers, will transform tens of thousands of acres of sunflowers to create 2.5 million gallons of biodiesel each year, with the potential to double that output. Besides providing fuel, the factory plant will have the incidental benefits of supporting local agriculture and improving local air quality.

Louisiana's Campaign for Tobacco-Free Living (TFL), a state-funded tobacco control program, recently awarded a grant to the nonprofit Youthanasia Foundation to support its SMOKEout Tour 2006-07. This tour, which includes music, dance, theater, and comedy performances, seeks to undermine the influence of peer pressure and advertising campaigns on youth smoking. TFL representatives estimate that up to 36 percent of Louisiana high school students smoke.

American Indian groups are tackling methamphetamine use head-on. Tribes are implementing wide-scale public education efforts, training health workers to spot the signs of addiction, using alternative sentencing options through drug courts, prescribing traditional healing techniques, and even banishing offending members from the tribe. With "meth" replacing alcohol as the biggest substance abuse problem in some tribal communities, Indian activists say combating meth use has become a top priority.

Newsletter produced by: Brendan St. Amant and Vanessa Ruget (researchers and writers); Joellen Secondo (researcher, writer, and editor).