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Jail information system glitches kept incarcerated inmates longer
James M. O’Neill of The Dallas Morning News used documents and court records to show that Dallas County Jail’s new Adult Information System has resulted in “at least 40 cases in which defendants were imprisoned too long after the launch of AIS. Some officials say the total number is far higher.” The $3 million system,…
Read MoreFlaws found in sex offender registry
Kirk Mitchell and Sean Kelly of The Denver Post investigated Colorado’s system for notifying communities about sexually violent offenders, finding that “since a state law went into effect in 1999, Colorado has labeled only two men not in prison as sexually violent predators, even though more than 1,300 sex offenders met the initial criteria to…
Read MoreMotor Vehicle Bureaus use varies
Michele McNeil of The Indianapolis Star used state data to show that “at least 30 motor vehicle license branches do as little business as those in the 12 small towns already scheduled to close.” In addition, the paper found that the number of cars and trucks processed by branches fluctuates wildly. “For example, the average…
Read MoreTax abatements benefit downtown owners
Gregory S. Reeves of The Kansas City Star analyzed county data on tax breaks given to properties in downtown Kansas City, finding that “more than 1,700 properties in Jackson County enjoy some kind of property tax abatement,” including several expensive condo buildings. Meanwhile, many residential property owners are facing double-digit increases in their assessments.
Read MoreAnti-terrorism spending problems plague state
Greg Barrett of The (Baltimore) Sun reviewed thousands of pages detailing homeland security spending in Maryland, finding that while most of the $161 million since 2002 has gone to assist first responders, “Maryland is so flush with anti-terrorism grant funds and spending authority is so broad that the state has struggled, at times, to manage…
Read MoreMore students attending four-year colleges
Rich Cholodofsky of the Pittsburgh Tribune Review reports on findings that more of Pennsylvania’s graduating high school students are going to four-year colleges. “Within the past five school years, entering the work force, attending technical training or joining the military have fallen behind college as graduates’ first option after high school, according to a Tribune-Review…
Read MoreAmnesty execs contribute maximum to Kerry
Rowan Scarborough of The Washington Times used Federal Election Commission records finding that the top leadership of Amnesty International contributed the maximum of $2,000 to Sen. John Kerry’s presidential campaign. Amnesty International describes itself as nonpartisan. William F. Schulz, executive director of Amnesty USA and Joe W. “Chip” Pitts III, board chairman of Amnesty International…
Read MoreSexual harassment rarely reported on Oregon campuses
Alan Gustafson and Shawn Day of the Salem, Ore., Statesman Journal analyze Oregon University System’s handling of sexual harassment. They found that the system lacks “data on the extent to which sexual harassment is happening on Oregon campuses.” The university system also fails to inform students on the proper way to file a complaint.
Read MorePolice chases lack restrictions
Eunice Trotter, Tom Spalding and Mark Nichols of The Indianapolis Star built a database of reports on police chases, showing that “police are virtually unrestricted when they chase suspects. They pursue fleeing vehicles at high speeds and usually for traffic infractions.” One of five chases resulted in an injury or death, and state police chases…
Read MorePrisoner complaints ignored by officials
Norman Sinclair, Melvin Claxton and Ronald J. Hansen of The Detroit News report that “Michigan lawmakers and prison officials have stymied investigations of sexual abuse in women’s prisons, stifled inmate complaints and stripped away the rights of assaulted prisoners to sue for damages.” Ten years after federal officials highlighted a problem with assaults of female…
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