Mario Koran

If you or someone you know has spent time in Lincoln Hills or Copper Lake schools — whether as an incarcerated juvenile or a staff member — your perspectives could inform @wisconsinwatch.bsky.social follow-up coverage of these issues. Contact info for @mkoran.bsky.social in the article.

“No judge wants to send a kid to Lincoln Hills,” said a MKE County judge, who has presided over juvenile cases. “You feel like you’re damning the kid. And if you look at the recidivism rates that come out of Lincoln Hills, you pretty much are damning a kid.” From @mkoran.bsky.social and Devin Blake:

My Life As a Homeless Man in America An extraordinary firsthand account.

“Many of you could be where we are—on the street—but for some simple and not uncommon twist of fate. This is part of your rejection, this fear that it could be you. You deny that reality because it is too horrific to contemplate, therefore you must deny us.” www.esquire.com/news-politic...

We're teaming up with TMJ4 and Wisconsin Watch to investigate problematic police officers The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel is teaming up with TMJ4 and Wisconsin Watch to investigate the officers who are — and aren’t — on the "Brady list."

Excited to join forces with MKE Journal Sentinel and TMJ4 to examine police accountability.

"This really is about transparency and telling MKE residents what they should know about the credibility of their police officers,” said @jmalewitz.bsky.social Stay tuned. www.jsonline.com/story/news/i...

I once served time in Colorado. Every day we had to work in the kitchen from 5am to 2pm. One day I told the guard I was too sick to go to work. He said if I refused, they'd take away my good-time credit, which meant serving more time. I went to work. h/t @jennburrill.bsky.social

Shout out to Milwaukee. Looking good, buddy.

Three years ago, a man on Texas death row asked a prison spokesman if I could be the reporter to witness his execution

The man was John Ramirez. I'd never met or written him before – but that request eventually led to several stories and a 3-year film project that is finally out this week. Thread:

This is legit problem in Wisconsin, too. I can't even count how many calls I get from family members who are desperate to find a loved one - only to discover they've died or been hospitalized.

There doesn't seem to be anyone at the prisons whose job it is to call the family.

My Unlikely Path From Jail to Journalism While serving a sentence for burglary, I enrolled in a college journalism class. When I interviewed my correctional officer, my world broadened.

Hello Bluesky 👋

I'm Mario. I was once incarcerated in Wisconsin - now I investigate and write about its jails and prisons for Wisconsin Watch. Follow me for investigations and updates on the beat.

Here's a story I wrote last year about how I got into journalism.

www.nytimes.com/2024/07/02/i...

The 100th article about how dairy farmers will fare under Trump's immigration policies and we're still stuck in the same doom loop...what are farmers doing to shift the policy and rhetoric around immigration beyond complaining about their individual labor needs?

www.jsonline.com/story/money/...

Reporters and law nerds Join the conversation

This is my starter pack of reporters and experts and legal folks, primarily law-focused and media-focused.

Why does this feel so much like picking your top 8 on MySpace

go.bsky.app/S9jWEGH

Thank you, Keri! You’re as kind and generous as you are talented.

My Unlikely Path From Jail to Journalism While serving a sentence for burglary, I enrolled in a college journalism class. When I interviewed my correctional officer, my world broadened.

Ayyyyy @mkoran.bsky.social is here!!! Highly recommend following him.

If you have liked my work over the years covering prisons as a former prisoner... he does the same thing, but in Wisconsin.

www.nytimes.com/2024/07/02/i...