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The series exposed how two-thirds of Maine's county jails have recorded confidential phone calls between incarcerated defendants and their attorneys. Four county jails recorded nearly 1,000 attorney-client calls in a single year and shared recordings of some calls with police and prosecutors before trial, the investigation found. Often, defense lawyers weren't told when their calls were recorded and state prosecutors lacked rules or policies about what to do once law enforcement and prosecutors heard parts of confidential conversations.

Among the people listened to were three murder suspects, who feared they couldn't get a fair trial after state police acknowledged they listened to portions of recorded phone calls to the defendants' attorneys. State lawmakers formed a study group this summer in response to the investigation's findings and have recommended that all state prosecutorial offices and law enforcement agencies adopt written policies that prohibits them from interfering in attorney-client phone calls going forward.

2022 IRE Award Finalist, Print/Online (written word) > Division 3