Wilhen Hill Barrientos, pictured with
his aunt in In These Times' July 2022
story, is among the many detainees
who sued a private prison company
on allegations of coerced labor.
Photo courtesy of Barrientos family.
Two major investigations supported
As reported elsewhere, FIRE has begun fostering the conditions in which freelance investigative reporters can best serve the public, including stronger liability protections via a range of tools.
But we are also pleased to report that our individual Virtual Newsroom services, including story grants and hands-on reporting services, continue to bear fruits.
Of several grant-funded stories advancing toward release, two already appeared this year: one on the maintenance of immigrant-detention centers with detainee labor; the other on a nursing-home chain's response to neglect complaints—profiled respectively here and here.
The stories, while also benefiting from Legal Consultancies for liability protections, received thousands of dollars in precisely leveraged support from multiple types of FIRE grants, along with the Virtual Newsroom's customized reporting tools and guidance.
The stories advance acountability in the public interest. Congratulations to the reporters, Tom Ferraro and Jared Whitlock, and their respective outlets, In These Times and Boston Globe Stat News!