Danielle Ohl of Spotlight PA
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Funding Cuts, Lawsuits and Fear Derailed Pennsylvania’s Plan to Close State Hospitals and Invest in Community Mental Health Care
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After a period of psychiatric hospital closures and investment in community support, Pennsylvania has shifted focus to the most restrictive care possible.
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System for Determining if Someone Is Mentally Fit for Trial in Pa. Is in Crisis, New Report Finds
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The study found the mentally ill are swept up by low-level criminal offenses and kept in state hospitals too long, confirming a past Spotlight PA report.
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Watch: How Pennsylvania’s Mental Health System Failed Those Who Needed It Most
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An ongoing two-year Spotlight PA investigation challenges some of the most common misconceptions about mental health treatment in Pennsylvania — most significantly that when people can’t or don’t get help, it’s their fault.
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Ransomware Attack Targeting Pa. Attorney General Leads to Case Delays, Takes Down Some Critical Internal Systems
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The attack has impaired many functions of the agency, as some staff and prosecutors remain unable to access archived emails, files and more.
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People Seeking to Clear Their Record of a Criminal Conviction Can Now Do So Online in Pa.
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The state’s new online pardon application aims to speed reviews and expand access for people seeking to clear criminal records.
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Key Reasons Pennsylvania’s Mental Health System Is Failing
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Pennsylvania promised a better mental health system in 2011. But the failure to follow through has created dire consequences
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A Mother’s Fight to Save Her Son Shows the Tragic Consequences of Pa.’s Failure to Build a Better Mental Health System
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A Spotlight PA investigation found Pennsylvania politicians and local officials broke promises to replace institutionalized care with community options — despite knowing the devastating consequences.
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Why the Law That Forces People to Get Mental Health Help Didn’t Stop the Shapiro Arson Attack
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Involuntary commitment is intended to be a last resort with a high bar. At the same time, many PA counties lack other mental health services.
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Spotlight PA Makes 25 Years of Board of Pardons Votes Available to the Public
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The Board of Pardons meets in public but does not publish records of its commutation votes. Spotlight PA is making that data available for the first time.
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Rare 2nd Chance at Freedom for Pa. Woman Serving Life Sentence Reversed in Unprecedented Revote
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The Board of Pardons reopened the case after opposition from the victim’s family arrived two months after its first vote.