Danielle Ohl of Spotlight PA

How Some Police, Attorneys and Jails Are Trying to Help Pa.’s Ailing System for Mentally Ill People

Health NewsWithout a statewide solution, some local officials are finding ways to prevent people unfit to stand trial from getting trapped in the criminal justice system.

Determining if Someone Is Mentally Fit for Trial in Pa. Often Traps Them in the Place Making Them Worse — Jail

Local NewsA Spotlight PA/PINJ investigation found few state hospital beds for those with severe mental illness, ill-equipped jails and a system so broken some defense attorneys avoid it entirely.

Judges in Pa. Can Now Dismiss Charges Against People ‘Incompetent’ to Stand Trial, but Flaws Remain

Local NewsThe state Supreme Court closed a decades-old legal loophole that kept people who would never be competent to stand trial on criminal charges in jail or prison indefinitely.

Missing Traffic Stop Data from Pa. State Police Undercut 2021 Analysis for Racial Disparities

Local NewsResearchers said the incomplete data were due to confusion over traffic stops that resulted in only a verbal warning, and that troopers have received updated instructions.

Jail Officials Across Pa. Sound Alarm as Mental Health Crisis Puts People at Risk, Survey Finds

Local NewsA statewide survey of county jails by Spotlight PA and the Pittsburgh Institute for Nonprofit Journalism revealed many facilities admit they are not equipped for the growing mental health crisis.

Pa. Election 2022: Where Governor Candidates Mastriano, Shapiro Stand on Crime, Justice Issues

Local NewsThe top candidates for Pennsylvania governor have different stances on increasing opportunities for parole, the use of cash bail and more.