#Hillman2014: Newspaper: Pat Beall | Hillman Foundation

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#Hillman2014: Newspaper: Pat Beall

Pat Beall is the winner of the 2014 Hillman Prize for Newspaper Journalism for her coverage of prision privatization for the Palm Beach Post. Beall compiled 13 years of national data on private prisons, documenting a decade’s worth of squalor, violence and abuse that stemmed from a pattern of hiring too few guards or guards with little experience. Some guards came to the job with criminal histories; others committed crimes while still on the job. The Post’s comprehensive list of major prisoner abuse, published online as an interactive map, is the only one of its kind.

Beall’s 8-month investigation exposed the conservative American Legislative Exchange Council as a major proponent of prison privatization. She also discovered that, despite what the public had been told, privatization wasn’t saving taxpayer money. 

Beall is an investigative reporter with the Palm Beach Post. Prior to joining the Post, she was the editor of the Orlando Business Journal, which racked up over 300 journalism awards under her leadership. 

This is another in a series of profiles of the winners of the 2014 Hillman Prizes. These prizes honor journalism in service of the common good.

Follow us on twitter at @sidneyhillman and Pat Beall at @patbeall1

Use the twitter hashtag #Hillman2014 to find out the latest buzz on the Hillman Prizes and the upcoming awards ceremony on May 6 at the New York Times Center. Use #Hillman2014 to tag your tweets about the Hillman Prizes. We want to hear from you!