Resource Center

Stories

The IRE Resource Center is a major research library containing more than 23,250 investigative stories — both print and broadcast.

These stories are searchable online or by contacting the Resource Center directly (573-882-3364 or rescntr@ire.org) where a researcher can help you pinpoint what you need.

Browse or search the tipsheet section of our library below. Stories are not available for download but can be easily ordered by contacting the Resource Center:



Search results for "juvenile offenders" ...

  • Minor Offenders, Major Consequences

    The reporter examines the Wisconsin criminal justice system for young adults using the story of a young man who hanged himself in jail at age 17.

    Tags: juvenile; prison; jail; Wisconsin criminal justice system; 17-year-olds

    By Julie Strupp; Dee J. Halll; Kate Golden; Bill Leuders

    Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism

    2011

  • Dangerous & Free

    "Over the past two years, Diedrich has looked and documented the communication failures, the breaks from judges, the miscalculations by law enforcement and the leniency from prosecutors that helped offenders elude justice."

    Tags: justice; juvenile injustice

    By John Diedrich

    Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

    2011

  • Juvenile Justice

    “A massive conspiracy had corrupted the juvenile system of one Pennsylvania County”. Two judges, who are to use their power for good were using it to make money. They were working together to send teen offenders to prisons, even for their first minor offenses. These judges were making money from a private jail owners for every teen sent to prison.

    Tags: Mark Ciavarella; courtroom; court; legal system; Michael Conahan; detention center; law enforcement

    By Frank Mastropolo; Glenn Ruppel; Jim Avila; Carla Delandri; David Sloan; Richard T Rutter; Bud Proctor; Howie Masters; Myrna A Toledo; Chris Kilmer

    ABC News

    2009

  • "Let out early..."

    To make room for new residents, the Arkansas Youth Services Division released 11 offenders from a juvenile detention center before their sentence was complete. Nine of those 11 were discharged despite objections from detention center workers. Only a short time later, one of the boys was arrested and charged with "capital murder, theft of property and fleeing."

    Tags: Youth Services; Jacobia Twiggs; Arkansas Juvenile Assessment and Treatment Center; Antonio Terry; Human Services Division of Youth Services

    By Amy Upshaw

    Arkansas Democrat-Gazette (Little Rock, Ark.)

    2009

  • Governor Quinn Keeping Juvenile Prisons in the Dark

    The report details governor Quinn's refusal to block information concerning conditions inside juvenile detention centers. The system cycles the same offenders in and out, and the report demonstrates why information on life inside these prisons could be beneficial to voters and taxpayers.

    Tags: juvenile; prisons; detention centers; governor; cycle; offenders; information; prison life; Quinn;

    By Robert Wildeboer; Cate Cahan;

    Chicago Public Radio

    2009

  • Justice By Geography

    Years after the 2000 Gang Violence and Juvenile Crime Prevention Act passed in California, Orange County-area prosecutors "top the list of district attorneys who most use the discretionary waiver to charge teens as young as 14 as adults." The original act was meant to "target hardcore gang members and juvenile offenders who commit heinous, violent crimes." Among the stories is the tale of Rene Garcia, who faces a life sentence for murder, even though he did not pull the trigger.

    Tags: juvenile justice; juvenile offenders; juvenile crime; juveniles charged as adults; accessory

    By Jenifer B. McKim; Monica Rhor; Chris Knap; Mark Katches

    Orange County Register (Santa Ana, Calif.)

    2007

  • Hidden in Plain Sight

    This investigation uncovered a confidential report of a state police investigation into allegations of sexual abuse of juveniles by administrators at a state-run youth lockup in West Texas. The agency managed to keep the scandal buried for almost two years. Since the scandal took place, people involved have gone unpunished and are even still working with children.

    Tags: abuse; sexual offender; state government; confidential sources; FOIA; correctional facility; sexual abuse; Texas government

    By Nate Blakeslee

    Texas Observer (Austin, Texas)

    2007

  • Juvenile Sex Offenders: Marjor Crimes, Minor Criminal

    "A report by Anna Song of KATU-Portland, Ore. reveals that juvenile sex offenders often go right back to school after being charged. Due to their status as minors, school administrators cannot disseminate this information beyond the staff. The story exposes the inconsistency of local school policies when it comes to such offenders: Some schools tell all staff members, some tell just a few. Ultimately, it's up to the principal and can vary by school, not just by district."

    Tags: sex offenders; juvenile; school system; privacy; crime; sexual offense

    By Anna Song; Chris Wilkinson

    KATU-TV (Portland, Ore.)

    2007

  • Is Esmie Evil

    In August 2005, Esmie Tseng was arrested for the stabbing death of her mother. Due to evidence at the scene indicating that the crime may have occurred in multiple sections of the house the 16-year-old Esmie lived in with her parents, the Johnson County, Kansas prosecutor tried Esmie as an adult. The local community's outpouring of compassion for Esmie as "a good girl who had snapped under pressure from her harsh parents" is only part of the story as the writer delves into Esmie's unhappy life, her diaries at Livejournal.com and Xanga.com and her "use of illegal drugs such as ecstacy (which) might have contributed to Esmie's faltering mental stability in the days leading up to her mother's murder." Esmie Tsang is now serving eight years after being convicted of voluntary manslaughter.

    Tags: Esmie Tsang; juvenile offenders; patricide; ecstacy; Livejournal.com; Xanga.com

    By Nadia Pflaum

    Pitch Weekly (Kansas City, Mo.)

    2006

  • Teen Crime, Adult Time

    An exploration of the Colorado justice system's strong emphasis on life-without-parole sentences for teens as criminal punishments, even for juveniles.

    Tags: youth offender; prison; court; minor; felony murder; sam mandez;

    By Miles Moffeit; Kevin Simpson

    Denver Post

    2006