Building on research that has shown that female and male offenders have very different mental frameworks, federal and state officials have developed a pilot program to better answer the needs of women probationers. Currently implemented in Connecticut, the Women Offender Case Management Model instructs probation officers to do more than routine checks with their clients; instead they build relationships with them by assessing their past experiences, identifying where their strengths are, and helping them plan their future.

Vermont and Illinois will now provide services to individuals in foster care up to the age of 21. Traditionally, federal funding for youth services end when foster kids reach 18, leaving those who have not been adopted or returned to their families to fend for themselves, with little state support. Supporters cite the need to ensure that foster kids get the best start that they can, noting that one in four youths who leaves foster care without a family is incarcerated within two years, and one in five becomes homeless.

The DUI Recovery Intensive Vicarious Retreat program in Nebraska focuses on rehabilitating drunk drivers instead of imposing jail time. First-time drunk driving offenders may be selected to attend a highly structured, two-day retreat consisting of chores and class work. Participants who successfully complete the program will continue with probation.

The New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority Police Department is armed with a new stealth vehicle that can catch graffiti vandals in the act. The $55,000 spymobile hunts for would-be taggers with the use of periscopes, video recorders, and digital cameras. Officers made their first arrests within an hour of the vehicle's first tour of duty.

Alarmed by the rise in foreclosures and the proliferation of predatory lending, the Illinois Legislature passed a law designed to improve the financial literacy of borrowers. The law compels individuals who are taking on a nontraditional loan to spend an hour or two with a credit counselor. Importantly, it expands this requirement to all neighborhoods, thus addressing some of the pitfalls of a 2005 pilot program, decried as targeting racial minorities and undermining real estate in some communities.

In an effort to increase accountability, the Florida Department of Education has unveiled a Web site on which parents can access information on teachers who were disciplined by the state's Education Practices Commission, which oversees teaching licenses. The site www.myfloridateacher.com reveals criminal charges or violations of the code of ethics that governs public school teachers in Florida.

Southern California officials are hunting for polluting vehicles roaming its highways and byways with the High Emitters Repair or Scrap (HEROS) program. A specially equipped truck measures emissions exhaust from passing vehicles. Those owners of grossly polluting vehicles with emissions 100 to 500 times higher than average will be sent letters offering free inspections  and financial incentives to repair the emissions problem or replace the vehicle.

Some Florida cities are replacing conventional garbage trucks with new vehicles equipped with remote-controlled hydraulic robot arms that scoop up cans to deposit waste. Although automated trucks have existed for several years, they have not been widely used. Recently, however, their use has been gaining support from local governments who see the benefits of employing fewer workers and decreasing on-the-job injuries and their associated costs.

To combat gang violence, the city of Albuquerque, New Mexico, is considering a proposal to set up a online registry of people convicted of gang-related crimes. Modeled after the now ubiquitous sex offender registries, this gang violence registry would include offender data such as convictions, legal names, aliases, birth dates, and places of employment.

In an effort to meet the ambitious pollution-reduction target adopted by California last year, the California Public Utilities Commission may soon use financial incentives--and disincentives--to encourage large utility companies to save energy. Supporters argue that this groundbreaking initiative will contribute to the promotion of energy-saving measures, prevent the construction of new plants and transmission lines, and cut about 3.4 million tons of carbon dioxide from the air before next year.

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