World News: Ohio cop who killed motorist not indicted

The top things you need to know about policing this week

A March 7, 2017, image made from a Strongsville Police

Another non-indictment in cop shooting, killing

It took Ohio Officer Jason Miller less than five seconds to walk from his cruiser and shoot and kill Roy Evans Jr., after a high-speed chase that started at 2:30 a.m. March 7. A jury decided Tuesday not to indict Miller for the shooting death. Evans, who was unarmed and had been driving without a license, ended the 14-minute chase by pulling over after his tires were punctured by spikes that were laid across the interstate. Miller approached the van, opened its door and told Evans to put his hands in the air, according to a report. Miller thought the driver, 37, was reaching for a gun, he said. An investigation showed that Evans, who laid carpet for a living, was reaching for the carpet between the van's front seats. Evans' girlfriend and her three children were also in the vehicle, but weren't hurt.

Inmates need space, too. And they're suing for it!

Lack of mental health services pushed 11 inmates in Nebraska to file a federal lawsuit against the state prison system, charging that overcrowding keeps prisoners from getting the services they need. Six years ago, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled overcrowding cruel and unusual punishment. The suit was filed by the American Civil Liberties Union on behalf of the inmates.

'The boom boom room'

After three weeks away, Ear Hustle — the podcast that gives listeners the chance to learn about what happens inside San Quinten — is back! Inmate and host Earlonne Woods returns post-lockdown (an incident inside the facility meant no visitors and that prisoners had to remain in their cells nearly 24-7), with an interesting take on, well, what happens when prisoners can get out of their cells, for private moments with that special someone. Be warned. Some prisons call the area for conjugal visits the boom boom room. You may just call a few moments in this podcast ... odd.

Recovery programs, not prison

Women participating in a re-entry program in Montana run by the Department of Corrections are learning that the crimes they've committed don't define them, but their roads to re-entering society after serving time can. The residential program has been around for less than two years and has a 97% graduation rate. The key? It seems to be treating prisoners like full human beings with faults and potential — something traditional incarceration systems aren't known for. One woman said that after bouncing from jail, to prison, to treatment and back to jail multiple times, she found a place that helped her "build on ... strengths" while getting treatment for addiction. Women also get trauma counseling in the 22-bed facility that will soon expand enough for 10 more residents. The program offers transitional services for women who either violated probation or were on their way back to prison for a new crime.

For more on policing and policing nationwide, visit policing.usatoday.com.

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