Jody DiPerna When we started talking about forming the Pittsburgh Institute for Nonprofit Journalism in March of 2020, we did not know how the readers would respond or how sustainable it would be, but we…
Letters Home: A teacher and former student connect…
by Michael Bennett and Denzel Glover Editor’s Note: This is part of our series exploring the juvenile justice landscape in Pittsburgh with a focus on education and mental health. These stories were funded by Staunton…
Photographer and filmmaker Mara Rago talks about her…
Rachel Rinehart The film remains a work in progress, but the archival documentary stands as a testament to the filmmaker's friend, Carla Beck. (spoilers ahead for the film) At the beginning of Mara Rago’s film,…
Allegheny County pays Adelphoi $366,000 before juvenile detention…
Nonprofit operator receives $7,800 daily payments before children are housed at the former Shuman facility, as Allegheny County pays for renovation costs. Brittany Hailer and Brian Conway This story is a collaboration between Pittsburgh Institute…
Courts bypassed open bidding for Allegheny County’s private…
As details emerge, concerns mount over how and why the $73.2 million dollar contract was issued. Brittany Hailer and Brian Conway This story is a collaboration between Pittsburgh Institute for Nonprofit Journalism, Pittsburgh Independent and…
Allegheny County Jail still houses kids despite federal…
The number of kids at the Allegheny County Jail went up — nearly two years after a federal act aimed at removing kids from adult lockup went into effect. Allegheny County held 249 hearings to…
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…
How many deaths occurred in your county’s jail?…
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…
Deaths in Pa. jails are undercounted. Our investigation…
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…