Danielle Ohl of Spotlight PA
-
Pa. Doesn’t Fund Public Defense. Shapiro’s Budget Would Change That
—
by
The $10 million proposal would be the most funding the state has ever dedicated to supporting the constitutional right to counsel.
-
How Some Police, Attorneys and Jails Are Trying to Help Pa.’s Ailing System for Mentally Ill People
—
by
Without a statewide solution, some local officials are finding ways to prevent people unfit to stand trial from getting trapped in the criminal justice system.
-
Determining if Someone Is Mentally Fit for Trial in Pa. Often Traps Them in the Place Making Them Worse — Jail
—
by
A Spotlight PA/PINJ investigation found few state hospital beds for those with severe mental illness, ill-equipped jails and a system so broken some defense attorneys avoid it entirely.
-
Judges in Pa. Can Now Dismiss Charges Against People ‘Incompetent’ to Stand Trial, but Flaws Remain
—
by
The state Supreme Court closed a decades-old legal loophole that kept people who would never be competent to stand trial on criminal charges in jail or prison indefinitely.
-
Missing Traffic Stop Data from Pa. State Police Undercut 2021 Analysis for Racial Disparities
—
by
Researchers said the incomplete data were due to confusion over traffic stops that resulted in only a verbal warning, and that troopers have received updated instructions.
-
Jail Officials Across Pa. Sound Alarm as Mental Health Crisis Puts People at Risk, Survey Finds
—
by
A statewide survey of county jails by Spotlight PA and the Pittsburgh Institute for Nonprofit Journalism revealed many facilities admit they are not equipped for the growing mental health crisis.
-
Pa. Election 2022: Where Governor Candidates Mastriano, Shapiro Stand on Crime, Justice Issues
—
by
The top candidates for Pennsylvania governor have different stances on increasing opportunities for parole, the use of cash bail and more.
-
New Report on Racial Bias in Pa. State Police Traffic Stops Delayed by Data Problems, Officials Say
—
by
Spotlight PA is an independent, nonpartisan newsroom powered by The Philadelphia Inquirer in partnership with PennLive/The Patriot-News, TribLIVE/Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, and WITF Public Media. Sign up for our free newsletters. Pennsylvania State Police will not release an analysis on the racial breakdown of traffic stops this year — the first time new information could have been…
-
5 Takeaways from Spotlight PA’s Event on Pennsylvania’s Flawed Police Hiring Database
—
by
Panelists said legislative action and other accountability measures are needed to close loopholes left in the 2020 law that created Pennsylvania’s law enforcement hiring database.
-
Statewide Pennsylvania Police Hiring Database Hindered by Loopholes, Lack of Enforcement
—
by
The database was hailed as a model to stop bad officers from hopping from one job to another. But now State Police say legislative changes are needed to make it more effective.