The IRE Resource Center is a major research library containing more than 23,250 investigative stories — both print and broadcast. These stories are searchable online or by contacting the Resource Center directly (573-882-3364 or rescntr@ire.org) where a researcher can help you pinpoint what you need. Browse or search the tipsheet section of our library below. Stories are not available for download but can be easily ordered by contacting the Resource Center:
Search results for "17-year-olds" ...
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Assault victim's tweets prompt contempt case
For 17-year-old Savannah Dietrich, it was like being victimized twice – first by the two boys who sexually assaulted her while she was passed out and then sent photos of the assault to their friends; secondly, by a secretive juvenile justice system that appeared more interested in protecting her attackers than her. Frustrated by what she felt was a lenient plea bargain for her two attackers, Savannah lashed out on Twitter – despite a judge’s warning that no one should talk about the incident because the case was in juvenile court. "There you go, lock me up," Savannah tweeted, as she named the boys who she said sexually assaulted her. "I'm not protecting anyone that made my life a living Hell." Though threatened with contempt of court, Savannah refusal to stay quiet, and her decision to talk publicly to Courier-Journal reporter Jason Riley resulted in a series of stories that drew national attention and helped pry the lid off Kentucky’s secretive juvenile courts – potentially opening more cases in the future to ensure justice is done.
Tags: Sexual assults; juvenile justice system; juvenile court; Twitter
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Minor Offenders, Major Consequences
The reporter examines the Wisconsin criminal justice system for young adults using the story of a young man who hanged himself in jail at age 17.
Tags: juvenile; prison; jail; Wisconsin criminal justice system; 17-year-olds
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17
Illinois is one of 12 states in the U.S. in which a minor who faces a felony charge is prosecuted in the "adult penal system." In this Chicago Reporter investigation, Angela Caputo reveals that the majority of minors charged with a felony and prosecuted as an adult are black 17-year-old males. She also reveals that most of the cases involve nonviolent crimes like "low-level drug sales" and "property theft."
Tags: felony; Chicago; Austin; Humboldt Park; North Lawndale; Roseland; West Englewood; Cook County; McArthur Foundation
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Fire Mark: Did prosecutors wrongfully convict a 17-year-old of triple homicide in the 1995 blaze that killed three firefighters?
The Innocence Institute of Point Park University looked into the conviction of Greg Brown who was charged with arson in a fire that lead to the death of three firefighters. Through their reporting efforts, the Innocence Institute the fire was not started by Brown - it was cause by a natural gas leak, not arson. And that some of the main witnesses had been paid as much as $10,000 to testify.
Tags: wrongful conviction; arson; crime; Innocence Project; FOIA; ATF; Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives
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A Class Apart
This book follows the lives of several students and teachers at Stuyvesant High School, including a 17-year-old heroin addict, a 10-year-old prodigy and a depressed teacher. The school is public but has a rigorous entrance exam that only 3 percent pass. The book addresses racial themes, explores the concept of elitism in education, and examines the education system in the United States.
Tags: high school; education; prodigies; addicts; race; elitism; private schools; public schools; Stuyvesant High School; New York City;
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The Truth About Donor 1084
Using the story of mothers who used "Donor 1084" from a cryobank in Virginia, SELF magazine examines the problems that occur when a sperm donor is not completely honest about his medical condition, and passes on poor health to his children. Four mothers who had children using Donor 1084 not only found that his information was false, but that their children were suffering from diseases such as eczema. They contacted the sperm back, Fairfax Cryobank in Fairfax, Virginia, to report problems, but the cryobank did not take Donor 1084 off the market. There is also the story of a young law clerk who made 320 donations to California cryobank in the late 1980s, leading into the tragedy of one of his recipients. Brittany Johnson is a 17-year-old who "inherited a life-threatening kidney disease from Donor 276."
Tags: cryobank; sperm bak; Fairfax Cryobank; California Cryobank; eczema; kidney disease; falsification of health records
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On Duty Spokane Firefighter Accused of Raping Teenage Girl
This investigation began with a press release that said an unnamed local firefighter had been placed on paid administrative leave after an alleged rape was reported by a 17 year-old girl. The reporters used city payroll documents to reveal the firefighter's name. They then learned that the firefighter had used city-controlled computer equipment to contact the girl on an internet sex site. They also learned that the firefighter had taken digital pictures of the sexual encounter, but city police detectives deleted the pictures, supposedly to protect the victim. This lead to a second investigation, this time into the conduct of the police detective for destroying evidence.
Tags: rape; sex crimes; police corruption; local government; public records; firefighters
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How Far Will the Army Go?
With the help of an undercover high school journalist KCNC revealed that Army recruiters in suburban Denver advised the 17 year old student about how to obtain a fake diploma and beat a drug test. After the story aired, KCNC received tips from across the country about similar recruiting practices. Following the broadcast, the military froze recruitment efforts for a day and re-examined recruitment policies and procedures.
Tags: military; US Army; recruiters; recruitment; US Navy
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Dominic Williams
This Post-Dispatch series focuses on the circumstances surrounding the tragic death of 17-year-old Dominic Williams, the teenager found dead and naked in a trash can. No one wanted him and the system which was supposed to protect him ended up failing him. Using FOI requests, the reporter was able to piece together Dominic's life, and figure out just why and how he slipped through the cracks.
Tags: child welfare laws; crime
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Chaos and Corruption at Florida's Children Services
The Miami Herald's extensive series on two of Florida's social service agencies, the Department of Children and Families and the Department of Juvenile Justice, uncovers corruption, cronyism, abuse, and neglect. Miller's investigation exposes how administrators used their power to place valuable contracts in the hands of their friends. The report also investigates the death of Omar Paisley, a 17-year-old detainee in the Department of Juvenile Justice, who died of appendicitis while nurses and employees ignored his screams of pain and told him to "suck it up."
Tags: Florida Department of Children & Families; Florida Department of Juvenile Justice; social services; children's services