PINJ | Pittsburgh Institute for Nonprofit Journalism

Social Justice

Director of PINJ sues Allegheny County over First Amendment claim

Attorneys from the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press and the Yale Law School Media Freedom and Information Access Clinic sued Allegheny County, on behalf of Brittany Hailer, the director and co-founder of the Pittsburgh Institute for Nonprofit Journalism. The lawsuit alleges the jail’s overly broad policies on employee interactions with journalists violate the…

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Allegheny County Jail warden announces retirement

By Brittany Hailer After over ten years at the helm, Allegheny County Jail Warden Orlando Harper announced his retirement on Tuesday. His last day as warden will be Sept. 29.  “I have been honored to serve in this role for over a decade and am announcing my retirement with mixed feelings,” Harper said in a…

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Allegheny County quietly settles lawsuit with banned “corrections special operations” vendor CSAU-1 for full amount 

A nearly $215,000 payment came despite still unanswered questions over Joseph Garcia’s training methods, credentials, and scope of work at the Allegheny County Jail during summer 2021. Brittany Hailer and Brian Conway This story was published in partnership with the Pittsburgh Independent. Allegheny County has paid private security consultant Joseph Garcia the full amount his…

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PINJ has paid particular attention to the Allegheny County Jail throughout the pandemic, tracking the deaths of those in custody as well as the conditions incarcerated individuals have been forced to endure.

View all of our coverage on the Allegheny County Jail by clicking here.

More News

Quantum Theatre’s “Hamlet” Creates New Space and Life for Shakespeare’s Heavy-Hearted Prince

by Matthew Benusa Shakespeare is old hat. Every theater in the world does “Hamlet.” There are thousands upon thousands of different versions of Hamlet from the Miltonian Hamlet of the 17th century to recent editions like Kenneth Branagh’s spy-Hamlet, or the 2022 Pulitzer winner “Fat Ham” by James Ijames. Quantum Theater’s take on Hamlet makes…

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Shadyside’s Cozy New Bookstore

story by Matthew Benusa /photos by Matthew Glover Pittsburgh’s newest bookstore doesn’t care to sell you books. The Cozy Corner Bookstore is here to give away the vibes. Enter the store at 5879 Ellsworth Ave in Shadyside, and you’ll find two pairs of shoes by the front door. Light filters through the picture window facing…

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Advocating for accommodations has been a constant, but largely quiet, struggle for college students with disabilities since the Americans with Disabilities Act became law in 1990.

Read from our award-winning series, Leveling the Playing Field, here.

Books

Paola Corso’s Photography and Poetry Find Life on Pittsburgh’s Vertical Bridges

by Matthew Benusa Paola Corso’s book, “Vertical Bridges: Poems and Photographs of City Steps” (Six Gallery Press), explores her fascination with the public stairs built to navigate Pittsburgh demanding topography, alongside more personal reflections about family, community, and immigration. “There are so many metaphors built into these steps,” Corso said at a recent photography showing…

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Education in Pittsburgh was upended in March 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic abruptly closed schools. Since then, as multiple virus waves have swept the nation, students have been in and out of physical classrooms, learning sometimes online, sometimes in person, sometimes not at all. How will they rebound?

Read more from Playing the Long Game here.

Commentary

Review of “We Shall Not Be Moved,” a Modern Opera Exploring the Long Reach of the MOVE Bombing

by Matthew Benusa In May, 1985, the Philadelphia police dropped explosive devices onto the roof of the building occupied by the Black liberation MOVE organization. Fire spread through West Philadelphia. Six adults and five children were killed. More than 250 people were made homeless. “We Shall Not Be Moved,” a contemporary opera recently shown at…

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