Shane Bauer, Mother Jones
Shane Bauer of Mother Jones, and the investigative reporting team of Ryan Gabrielson and Topher Sanders of ProPublica are the winners of the John Jay College/Harry Frank Guggenheim 2017 Awards for Excellence in Criminal Justice Reporting.
Topher Sanders, ProPublica
“At this critical time in criminal justice, the work of journalists has never been more important,” said John Jay College President Jeremy Travis.
Ryan Gabrielson, ProPublica
“We are proud to honor these reporters for their hard work, dedication and commitment—and for the inspiring example they set for their colleagues.”
Eli Hager, The Marshall Project
Alysia Santo, The Marshall Project
Runner-up in the single-story category was awarded to Eli Hager and Alysia Santo of The Marshall Project for “Inside the Deadly World of Private Prisoner Transport.”
Their seven-month investigation uncovered a “deadly world that operates with virtually no oversight,” wrote TMP editor Bill Keller.
The story was simultaneously published on the front page of The New York Times.
In the series category, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and the Baltimore Sun tied for the runner-up slot.
Michael Fuoco. Photo by Larry Roberts/ Post-Gazette
The Post-Gazette’s Michael A. Fuoco was honored by the judges for his five-part series, “What Cost Freedom?”—an examination of the case of Lewis Jim Fogle, exonerated in 2015 after serving 34 years for a murder he did not commit.
The series led to a “call to action” for compensation for the wrongfully convicted, including the strengthening of lobbying efforts by Innocence Projects in Pennsylvania and New York, said Assistant Managing Editor Virginia Linn in her nominating letter.
The Baltimore Sun’s Justin George was honored for his year-long investigation, “Shoot to Kill,” of fatal shootings in major U.S. cities. “George revealed an impossibly knotted web of violence that will leave readers despairing, but well-informed,” said juror Beth Schwartzapfel.
Justin George, The Baltimore Sun
The prizes, administered by John Jay’s Center on Media, Crime and Justice (CMCJ), recognize the previous year’s best print and online justice reporting in a U.S.-based media outlet between November 2015 and October 2016.
Photo by Puamelia via Flickr
Winning entries in each of the two categories share a cash award of $1,500 and a plaque. Runners-up (see below) receive a certificate of Honorable Mention.
Links to winning stories and information about the prize are available here.
