Yohance joins Tonya Mosley on NPR’s Fresh Air to discuss the award-winning podcast You Didn’t See Nothin. Yohance Lacour tells the story of Lenard Clark, a 13-year-old Black boy who was beaten into a coma after riding his bike into a predominantly white neighborhood — and the importance of the case today.
Wisconsin is in the minority of states shielding police data. We’re suing to change that. /
This story is being co-published by the Wisconsin Examiner and Invisible Institute, a nonprofit public accountability journalism organization based in Chicago.
Since 2017, Wisconsin policing regulators have tracked what they call “flagged officers”: cops who get fired, resign in lieu of a termination, or resign before an investigation into alleged misconduct can be completed.
The regulators, with the Law Enforcement Standards Board (LESB), were prompted by a series of reports on officers accused of sexual assault and dishonesty who had been able to get rehired — including as a police chief — with little oversight from the state.
“What we’re trying to do is eliminate the opportunity for somebody to slip through the cracks,” the chair of the LESB said at the time, referring to a phenomenon often called “wandering officers.”
Seven years in, it’s difficult to see what has changed: Because flagged officers can still be hired, they often are — and at an increasing rate, according to recent reporting. And because the flagged officers list is limited to only some officers who were disciplined or resigned, there is still potential for additional officers with histories of misconduct to have slipped through the cracks to new agencies undetected.
Invisible Institute wins seven Peter Lisagor Awards /
The Chicago Headline Club congratulates all the winners of the 47th annual Peter Lisagor Awards for exemplary journalism.
The awards were handed out May 10 at a gathering of more than 200 members of the local media community. The entries were judged by an impartial Society of Professional Journalists chapter outside Illinois.
Invisible Institute received seven awards across three different journalism projects.
Missing in Chicago, our seven-part investigation into Chicago police handling of missing person cases in collaboration with City Bureau, received 4 awards for Best multimedia collaboration, Best use of feature video, Best reporting on crime and justice by a small newsroom, Best reporting on race and diversity by a small newsroom.
You Didn’t See Nothin, our audio investigative podcast revisiting the 1990s hate crime against Lenard Clark in the Bridgeport neighborhood of Chicago in partnership with USG Audio, received two awards for Best feature reporting series by a small newsroom and Best investigative reporting by a small newsroom.
Jamie Kalven’s reporting, See No Evil: Why Does the Chicago Police Department Tolerate Abusive Racists in Its Ranks? published in The Intercept, received the Best reporting on race and diversity by a large newsroom.
Missing in Chicago wins Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Award /
On Thursday, May 9th, trina reynolds-tyler and Senior Reporter for City Bureau Sarah Conway were awarded the Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Award for Investigative Reporting in their Small Newsroom Category for their seven-part investigation Missing in Chicago.
The awards highlight the impact of Illinois investigative and enterprise reporting as a reform tool within the context of state and local government waste, fraud, and corruption.
The awards are generously sponsored by the Richard H. Driehaus Foundation, which supports investigative reporting that fosters greater transparency, accountability and effectiveness in government institutions at the local level.
You Didn't See Nothin wins Peabody Award /
We're thrilled to share that You Didn't See Nothin has received a Peabody Award! For more than 80 years, the Peabody Awards has honored excellence in storytelling that reflects the social issues and the emerging voices of our day.
Congratulations to our award-winning audio team: Yohance Lacour, Bill Healy, Dana Brozost-Kelleher, Erisa Apantaku, Sarah Geis, Alison Flowers, Steven Jackson, Phil Dmochowski, Taka Yasuzawa, Alex Sugiura, Jamie Kalven, and Josh Bloch for USG Audio.
Invisible Institute Wins Two Pulitzer Prizes /
On May 6, the Invisible Institute was awarded two Pulitzer Prizes. The team behind You Didn’t See Nothin won the Pulitzer Prize for Audio Reporting, and trina reynolds-tyler and Sarah Conway of City Bureau were awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Local Reporting for their series Missing in Chicago.
Andrew Fan Named to 2024 Emerging Leaders Council /
The Institute for Nonprofit News (INN) welcomes 14 members of the 2024 INN Emerging Leaders Council (ELC). These forward-looking, innovative leaders set the stage for sustainable growth for their organizations and serve as a model for leaders across the field.
This year’s cohort will focus on succession planning, board development, fine-tuning long-term fundraising practices and growing collaborative networks that unite nonprofit newsrooms to report on key issues.
Peabody Award Nominee: You Didn't See Nothin /
The Peabody Awards Board of Jurors today announced the 41 nominees for the Documentary, News, Public Service, and Radio/Podcast categories selected to represent the most compelling and empowering stories released in broadcasting and streaming media during 2023. The nominees were chosen by a unanimous vote of 32 jurors from over 1,100 entries from television, podcasts/radio and the web in entertainment, news, documentary, arts, children’s/youth, public service, and multimedia programming.
We’re thrilled to share that You Didn’t See Nothin has been nominated for the 84th annual Peabody Awards.
The winners of the 84th annual Peabody Awards will be announced on May 9 and then celebrated on Sunday, June 9 at a ceremony at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Los Angeles. From major productions to local journalism, the Peabody Awards shine a light on the Stories That Matter and are a testament to the power of art and reportage in the push for truth, social justice, and equity.
Yohancified: Making You Didn’t See Nothin /
Note from Sarah Geis: This manifesto is made up of excerpts of interviews I did with fellow members of the core production team: Yohance Lacour, Bill Healy, Erisa Apantaku and Dana Brozost-Kelleher. But the podcast could not have been made without the fearless reporting and advocacy of Alison Flowers and Jamie Kalven at the Invisible Institute, thoughtful guidance of Josh Bloch at USG, and 4 literal sound geniuses: Taka Yasuzawa and Alex Sugiura (music composition) and Steven Jackson and Phil Dmochoski (sound design and sage editorial advice).
Yohance Lacour: Initially the idea was a long-form written journalism piece, and it was not really gonna focus on my personal story. I got a fellowship to do it from the Invisible Institute, which was dope. But honestly, it was hard as fuck just to get started. Trying to find all of the players 25 years later — that alone was extremely difficult for me, coming home from prison, not understanding where to look for all the archival information. Then Jamie [Kalven, founder of the Invisible Institute] suggested I talk to the audio team about a podcast.
Sarah Geis: What did you think a podcast was?
Yohance: I didn’t understand the concept. I hadn’t heard of a podcast. And so when it was first brought to me, I’m just thinking like talk radio. I’m thinking about my father, for years, listening to NPR on the radio in the kitchen. I didn’t know what else was out there. And you, my whole team, was suggesting podcasts for me to listen to. And honestly I just never got into them. They felt slow. They felt boring. They felt like they were gonna put me to sleep. I’m not trying to diss all podcasts–
Despite Reforms, Louisiana Still Keeps Some Police Data Secret /
In 2015, Louisiana lawmakers created a database to track police certifications, which officers must maintain to work in law enforcement. Legislators claimed the information would prevent police officers with histories of misconduct from finding new law enforcement jobs in other jurisdictions.
But, by virtually all accounts, that database has failed to achieve its objective. According to repeated journalistic investigations, officers in Louisiana regularly maintain their certifications after being criminally convicted. Many fail to report to the state why they leave their jobs as required by law. And some then go on to commit misconduct with new police departments.
This story is being co-published by The Appeal and the Invisible Institute, a Chicago-based nonprofit public accountability journalism organization.
You Didn't See Nothin wins ASME 2024 Podcast Award /
One of the most prestigious journalism-awards programs in the United States, the National Magazine Awards are sponsored by the American Society of Magazine Editors in association with the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. Originally limited to print magazines, the awards now recognize magazine storytelling published in any print or digital medium. The awards are currently presented in 17 categories.
We are thrilled to share that You Didn’t See Nothin won the Podcasting award at the April 2nd 59th annual awards presentation at Terminal 5 in New York City.
See a full list of award winners here.
PODCASTING
Honors the outstanding use of audio content by magazines and websites
Invisible Institute With USG Audio for three episodes of “You Didn’t See Nothin,” hosted by Yohance Lacour: “Episode 1: Young Black Male,” “Episode 2: Holler If Ya Hear Me” and “Episode 3: Heartz of Men”
Vote for You Didn't See Nothin - Webby People's Choice Awards! /
Invisible Institute’s You Didn’t See Nothin has been nominated for the 28th Annual Webby Awards! Help us win People’s Choice by voting now.
Voting is open now through Thursday, April 18th, at 11:59 pm PDT.
The Webby Awards is the leading international award honoring excellence on the Internet.
Established in 1996 during the Web’s infancy, The Webbys is presented by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences (IADAS)—a 3000+ member judging body. The Academy is comprised of Executive Members—leading Internet experts, business figures, luminaries, visionaries and creative celebrities—and Associate Members who are former Webby Winners, Nominees and other Internet professionals.
Delaware opened up access to some police misconduct records — but still denies requests for basic police data /
This story is being co-published by the Delaware Call and the Invisible Institute, a Chicago-based nonprofit public accountability journalism organization.
How easy should it be for a police officer who has left one department due to misconduct to get a job with another? And does the public have a right to know about that officer’s checkered past?
Despite passage of two police reform bills in 2023, Delaware remains one of just 15 states that keeps data about police officers that the state has certified, and where they work, secret, according to a nationwide reporting project.
This makes it impossible for citizens and journalists alike to monitor the state’s oversight of so-called “wandering officers” who switch departments only to continue patterns of aggressive behavior toward civilians.
Now, Delaware’s culture of police secrecy is being challenged in court. A lawsuit filed last week on behalf of Delaware Call is seeking data held by the state Police Officer Standards and Training Commission (POST), which tracks all law enforcement officers currently working in Delaware, and which agencies employ and have employed them.
It’s some of the most basic information about public employees that most states around the country release — including Delaware’s neighbors Maryland and New Jersey.
Inside the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Brady lists /
For more than two decades, Cook County has boasted the infamous reputation of the being wrongful conviction capital of the U.S.—both a statistical fact, according to the National Registry of Exonerations, and the result of ongoing public revelations since the 1990s, when the Reader’s John Conroy first exposed Jon Burge and his crew torturing suspects into making false confessions, through to today’s waves of mass exonerations of the victims of Ronald Watts and his crew.
At the heart of many wrongful convictions is the violation of a legal obligation on the part of police and prosecutors to provide evidence to defendants that might help their case. This violation can look like anything from withholding reports about conflicting eyewitness accounts to a failure to disclose that the investigating officer has a history of dishonesty or brutality.
This obligation has been outlined in several U.S. Supreme Court decisions, starting in 1963 with Brady v. Maryland and followed in 1972 by Giglio v. United States. These decisions state that the prosecution is required to turn over any evidence that would be favorable to the defendant, including information that calls into question the credibility of the prosecution’s witnesses—such as police officers or other investigators. Further Supreme Court decisions, the Illinois Code of Criminal Procedure, and a rule of the Illinois Supreme Court add even more weight to these requirements.
Despite a history of expanding obligations on prosecutors and police, the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office (SAO) and Chicago Police Department (CPD) fail to comply with Brady in several ways, according to interviews with experts, successive outside reviews, and an investigation into the agencies’ practices by the Invisible Institute and the Reader.
trina reynolds-tyler & Sarah Conway on The Sit Down with Shawnee Dez /
In the latest episode of Chicago Reader’s The Sit Down, Shawnee Dez speaks with Trina T and Sarah Conway about the two-year investigation they conducted to get a closer look into the ways that CPD handles missing persons cases and the disproportionate impact on Black women and girls in Chicago.
This episode comes on the leap day 02.29.24, a day Dez consider to be the intersection between Black History Month and Women's History Month and for that what better time to talk about an issue that is plaguing Black women at alarming rates.
For the contents of this episode, Dez offers a TRIGGER WARNING as some of what you may hear can be difficult. If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, or may be missing please reach out to a trusted community member and professionals to seek the help you/they deserve.
Virginia Is In The Minority Of States Keeping Even The Most Basic Police Data Secret /
In the wake of George Floyd’s murder by Minneapolis police, Virginia lawmakers took action on reports that state policing regulators failed to strip the police certifications from dozens of officers with criminal convictions ranging from embezzlement to possession of child pornography and sexual assault.
The Legislature passed a bill in October 2020 requiring police departments to complete internal investigations even if officers resign during them, and to provide any records of misconduct to new prospective employers for officers; strengthening the requirements for agencies to send reports of misconduct to state regulators; expanding the offenses for which officers can be stripped of their certifications; and requiring a state board to write a statewide standard of conduct for policing.
“This will keep them from job jumping,” said state Sen. Mamie Locke, D-Hampton, one of the main sponsors.
Three years later, barely anything has changed. The statewide code of conduct draft has languished in the review stage for over a hundred days past its deadline. While the state Criminal Justice Services Board (CJSB) has increased the number of officers it decertifies, critics accuse the board of inconsistently applying its expanded abilities to decertify officers.
And now, the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS), which houses the CJSB, refuses to publicly release basic data about police employment — data which it previously released, spurring this new reform law in the first place.
At the same time, Gov. Glenn Youngkin has introduced programs to encourage officers to move departments or even across state lines to Virginia — the exact “job jumping” that Sen. Locke warned against.
After fatal shootings, Rantoul police recommended more training. They just sent one officer to a gun range /
After Rantoul’s first-ever fatal police shootings in 2023, the Rantoul Police Department conducted internal reviews of both incidents.
In those internal reviews, the Use of Force Review Board — made up of different members in each incident — recommended further training for both the department and individual officers after absolving all but one officer of wrongdoing in both cases: the February 2023 shooting of 21-year-old Azaan Lee, and the June shooting of 18-year-old Jordan Richardson.
The Rantoul Police Department’s Use of Force Review Board recommended several department-level trainings, including reality-based training under stress, “force-on-force” training, using control tactics from multiple positions and a “refresher” on the department’s use of force policy.
However, Deputy Chief Justin Bouse confirmed the department has not implemented any of these trainings based on information obtained through open records requests from Invisible Institute and IPM News.
Champaign hired Police Chief Timothy Tyler despite disciplinary past and allegations of misconduct /
When Timothy Tyler applied for the Champaign Police Chief position in 2022, the Champaign City Council was given his “resumes and cover letters and recommendations — things of that nature,” according to Council member Davion Williams.
New documents obtained through open records requests by Invisible Institute and IPM Newsroom suggest the council was not privy to a more detailed accounting of Tyler’s policing history, which is marked by a trail of disciplinary actions and other incidents ranging from suspensions for “unfavorable” conduct while serving with the Illinois State Police to entanglements in several federal civil rights lawsuits.
After receiving information and questions about Tyler’s background and disciplinary history from Invisible Institute and IPM Newsroom, City Council member Davion Williams forwarded the email to City Manager Dorothy Ann David and asked, “Were we aware of these incidents as a city?”
This story is part of a partnership focusing on police misconduct in Champaign County between the Champaign-Urbana Civic Police Data Project of the Invisible Institute, a Chicago-based nonprofit public accountability journalism organization, and IPM Newsroom, which provides news about Illinois & in-depth reporting on Agriculture, Education, the Environment, Health, and Politics, powered by Illinois Public Media. This investigation was supported with funding from the Data-Driven Reporting Project, which is funded by the Google News Initiative in partnership with Northwestern University | Medill.
How Chicago Became an Unlikely Leader in Body-Camera Transparency /
A decade ago, the Chicago Police Department drew national outrage after an officer shot and killed 17-year-old Laquan McDonald. Officials had refused to disclose footage of the murder while officers worked to cover it up. But the fallout from the case has also led to a lesser-known and surprising outcome: The city is now a leader in using body-camera footage to deliver transparency.
Notably, an independent accountability office — not the police department — decides what footage from police shootings and other serious incidents is released to the public. That seemingly straightforward setup, the product of the city’s policing reforms, appears to put Chicago in a league of its own.
Jamie Kalven, a Chicago journalist and advocate who helped reveal what had happened to McDonald, said, “That case changed public expectations and norms in Chicago. Releasing the video became the new expectation.”
Invisible Institute Wins IDA Documentary Awards /
The International Documentary Association hosted their 39th annual awards ceremony last night.
We are thrilled to share that You Didn’t See Nothin, our seven-part audio investigative podcast has won the award for Best Multi-Part Audio Documentary or Series.
Additionally, the short documentary Incident, which is partly based on our team’s investigation into the police killing of Harith Augustus in South Shore in the summer of 2018 has won the Best Short Documentary Award. Our founder Jamie Kalven is credited as a producer.