PINJ | Pittsburgh Institute for Nonprofit Journalism

Social Justice

Here’s how we created Pa.’s first-ever jail-death database

Brittany Hailer and Joshua Vaughn Editor’s Note: This investigation was supported by a grant from the Pulitzer Center. To create Pennsylvania’s first-ever database of in-custody deaths, the Pittsburgh Institute for Nonprofit Journalism and PennLive had to navigate a patchwork of inconsistent systems and records. We requested records submitted to state and federal agencies, and scanned federal lawsuits…

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How many deaths occurred in your county’s jail? See our database

Brittany Hailer and Joshua Vaughn Editor’s Note: This investigation was supported by a grant from the Pulitzer Center. The lack of proper reporting by Pennsylvania jails is widespread, resulting in severe undercounting of in-custody deaths in the Commonwealth. PennLive and the Pittsburgh Institute for Nonprofit Journalism spent 6-months investigating in-custody deaths to create the first comprehensive database…

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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.

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Deaths in Pa. jails are undercounted. Our investigation found dozens of hidden cases

Brittany Hailer and Joshua Vaughn Editor’s Note: This investigation was supported by a grant from the Pulitzer Center. Jeff Lagrotteria and Tina Talotta waited 30 minutes before doctors would allow them to enter the hospital room where their cousin Anthony Talotta was barely alive, breathing on a ventilator. “Because they had to prepare him for us to…

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Book Bans Have Reached Greater Pittsburgh’s Boardrooms and Ballots

Colin Williams Clashes around censorship have pitted parents against educators, and against each other, while outside funding raises the stakes. This article was written and edited collaboratively between the Pittsburgh Institute for Nonprofit Journalism, Pittsburgh City Paper, and Belt Magazine with support from the Pittsburgh Media Partnership. Hear more about this story on the City…

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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

The Beehive — A Caffeinated Look Back

Jody DiPerna With his new book, “Gen X Pittsburgh: The Beehive and the 90’s Scene” (The History Press) journalist David Rullo seeks to commemorate the end of the analog era in Pittsburgh and how the Beehive became a community center for DIY art, music and creation. Rullo sat down to talk about his new book,…

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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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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

‘I wanted to read books’: Former Shuman Detention Center resident shares his story

Sean Johnson Editors Note:  Sean Johnson was of the last cohort to be housed at the now shuttered Shuman Juvenile Detention Center in 2021. He writes that the education programming in the facility and a diverse library are the two most essential needs for child rehabilitation and learning. This is the first essay in a…

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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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