Excerpt from: Disability Scoop (click for full article)
A series of investigative articles looking at the failures of a police force tasked with protecting people with developmental disabilities is being recognized as among journalism’s best.
Reporting from the online news site California Watch, which was founded by the nonprofit Center for Investigative Reporting, was named a finalist this week for the Pulitzer Prize for public service journalism.
The award recognized a five-installment series titled “Broken Shield” published between February and November 2012 examining California’s Office of Protective Services. Responsible for policing the state’s institutions known as board-and-care centers, reporters found that the department’s investigations of abuse were routinely fault-ridden.
In dozens of cases, for example, the news outlet found that women were allegedly sexually assaulted at state facilities, but no rape kits were ordered. In other instances, staff members at the care centers were allowed to continue working with residents even after being accused of abuse, the report indicated.
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