Joaquin Sapien
Joaquin Sapien is a reporter at ProPublica covering criminal justice and social services.
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Joaquin Sapien was one of the first reporters hired at ProPublica in its first year of publishing in 2008. Since then, his journalism has explored a broad range of topics, including criminal justice, social services, and the environment. In 2019, he was a co-producer and correspondent for “Right to Fail,” a film for the PBS documentary series Frontline. The film was based on his 2018 examination of a flawed housing program for New Yorkers with mental illness, which appeared in the New York Times. The story immediately prompted a federal judge to order an independent investigation into the program. It won a Deadline Club Award and a Katherine Schneider Journalism Award for Excellence in Reporting on Disability.
In 2015, Sapien wrote about care for troubled children, beginning with a story in the California Sunday Magazine on a group home that descended into chaos. His work helped an abused boy receive a $12 million jury award and led to the closure of another embattled home in Long Beach.
Past areas of focus include New York City Family Court, prosecutorial misconduct, traumatic brain injury, natural gas drilling, and contaminated drywall used to rebuild after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
Sapien’s work has earned awards from the Society of Professional Journalists, the Society of Environmental Journalists, and Investigative Reporters and Editors. He was a four-time finalist for the Livingston Award for Young Journalists. Before joining ProPublica, Sapien was a reporter at the Center for Public Integrity.
Investigation Exposes Failings of Oversight in NYC Group Homes
City investigators say oversight was so lax at homes for juvenile offenders that violent episodes were “all but inevitable.”
Yet Another Scandal Rocks Utah Home for Vulnerable Children
Police raided the home after an employee reported sex among residents and misconduct by staff.
Brooklyn Prosecutors Admit Woman Spent 10 Years in Prison for Crime She Likely Didn’t Commit
The review of a controversial Brooklyn detective's casework has led to yet another conviction being wiped out.
Report Cites Failure to Act Against Abusers of Juveniles in Detention
Amid significant reforms, federal officials worry that sexual abuse in juvenile justice system remains prevalent and too often unpunished.
The Trials of New York’s Family Court
A journalist immerses herself in New York’s Family Court system and finds a mix of misery and modest hope.
Out of Options, California Ships Hundreds of Troubled Children Out of State
One 14-year-old boy’s search for care takes him to Utah as his home state struggles to safeguard its most challenging children.
California Backs off Group Homes, Looks to Lean on Foster Families
As California dismantles its beleaguered system of youth group homes, state lawmakers bet big on expanding foster care.
Los Angeles County Examines Troubled Group Home’s Finances
As a group home for some of the state’s most troubled children prepares to close, county auditors are poring over its finances.
Troubled California Group Home to Close
Management’s decision to close a home in Long Beach ends one crisis, but the state is still seeking answers for dealing with its most troubled children.