Accountability Reporting
NHPR spent this year listening to people whose lives intersected with New Hampshire’s most powerful institutions, documenting what happened when those systems failed to keep them safe. Former residents of the state’s youth detention facilities continue to describe decades of physical and sexual abuse, even as they navigate a settlement process reshaped by political disputes, administrative decisions and legal battles over what justice should mean. Their accounts unfold alongside questions about how the state is managing the landmark settlement fund, whether victims’ attorneys are being paid appropriately, and how criminal cases against former staff are progressing — including mistrials, convictions and appeals that underscore the long road toward accountability.
Reporting this year also examined the state’s treatment of people in psychiatric crisis inside the prison system, where two men with serious mental illness died after being restrained face down by corrections officers. Phillip Borcuk’s death was ruled an accident, while Jason Rothe’s was deemed a homicide, leading to criminal charges against an officer. Families, medical experts and advocates continue to question the use of prone restraint, the conditions inside the Secure Psychiatric Unit and whether promised reforms can prevent further harm for people who are supposed to be receiving care, not punishment.
The newsroom also followed how broader policy decisions are felt in the Monadnock region, where business owners are confronting the ripple effects of federal tariffs — toy makers absorbing steep import taxes, steel fabricators squeezed between rising material costs and foreign competition, and small grocers unsure how much their customers can bear. Their experiences show how national policy choices shape daily realities in New Hampshire, revealing another dimension of accountability: the economic pressures that fall hardest on local communities.
Photo credits, top to bottom: Former State Supreme Court Chief Justice John Broderick featured in coverage of the Youth Development Center (Allegra Boverman/ for NHPR); the Secure Psychiatric Unit on the grounds of the New Hampshire State Prison complex in Concord (Zoey Knox/NHPR); Jennifer Carroll and Chuda Mishra featured in a story on federal tariffs (Senior Reporter Todd Bookman/NHPR).
Locally produced, locally powered
Behind the headlines you read on our website, there’s a dedicated team of journalists working hard to bring you local news you can trust. On any given day, that can look like:
Reporters hustling to track down sources, get the facts and hold powerful officials accountable
Producers coordinating interviews with people who offer perspectives that go beyond soundbites
Editors carefully vetting our stories to make sure they’re accurate, fair and easy to follow
I believe that journalists, when we do our jobs well, can play a crucial role in connecting people and making communities stronger. But we can’t do this work without you.
Your donations, in any amount, can help keep independent journalism vibrant in New Hampshire — and accessible to everyone, no paywall required.
Sincerely,
Dan Barrick
News Director
