We partner with the On Our Watch podcast to learn what happens when you speak up in a system where no one wants to hear the truth.

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** THE WEEKLY REVEAL
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Saturday, March 23, 2024

Hello! In this issue:
* We trace the footsteps of a correctional officer-turned-whistleblower in one of the most dangerous prisons in California.
* Psychedelic drugs show promise in treating PTSD and other mental health challenges.
* Lawmakers in Alaska are finally taking action to protect children in foster care.


** THIS WEEK’S PODCAST
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** A Whistleblower in New Folsom Prison
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A photo of Valentino Rodriguez on his wedding day is displayed in his father’s office. Credit: Courtesy of KQED

When correctional officer Valentino Rodriguez first stepped behind prison walls, it was so much more than a new job. He was now bound by an unwritten code: Never tell on each other.

But the job wore on him. The violence he witnessed plagued him. And it tested his loyalty to a system where no one wants to hear the truth. It took five years for him to turn whistleblower ([link removed]) , but when he did, he told the warden everything. Six days later, his wife found him dead.

This week on Reveal, we partner with KQED and the On Our Watch podcast’s Sukey Lewis and Julie Small to follow Rodriguez’s footsteps and uncover the secrets hidden inside the most dangerous prison in California.
Listen to the episode ([link removed])
🎧 Other places to listen: Apple Podcasts ([link removed]) , Spotify ([link removed]) , Google Podcasts ([link removed]) or wherever you get your podcasts.


** Impact Update
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Last year, we partnered with Mother Jones to investigate the Alaska foster system’s warehousing of children ([link removed]) for months or even years in psychiatric treatment centers.

In this session of the Alaska State Legislature, two bills have been introduced ([link removed]) that aim to reform psychiatric treatment for vulnerable youth. One bill would require a court to review a foster child’s placement at a psychiatric hospital within 72 hours to determine whether that child meets medical criteria for hospitalization.

A second bill would require health department employees to conduct unannounced visits to residential psychiatric facilities at least twice a year and to interview at least half of the patients during such visits.
Listen: Cashing in on Troubled Teens ([link removed])


** One Number to Know
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988

Call or text 988 to reach the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.

Since Sept. 11, 2001, four times more vets have died by suicide than in combat. After decades of trying to treat post-traumatic stress disorder with various medications, the Department of Veterans Affairs is leaning into the promise of psychedelics to improve the mental health of veterans.
Listen: America Goes Psychedelic, Again ([link removed])


** More from our Newsroom
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As you’ve already heard, we joined forces this year with Mother Jones, and our new colleagues are covering everything from “greenhushing ([link removed]) ” to the Big Lie ([link removed]) and the American labor movement ([link removed]) . Get fresh insights, insider-y scoops and smart analysis with the Mother Jones Daily newsletter ([link removed]) .

Sign up here ([link removed]) .


** In Case You Missed It
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🎧 Listening in on Russia's War in Ukraine ([link removed])

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🎧 Blue State Barriers and the Messy Map of Abortion Access ([link removed])

This issue of The Weekly Reveal was written by Kate Howard and edited by Nikki Frick. If you enjoyed this issue, forward it to a friend ([link removed]) . Have some thoughts? Drop us a line (mailto:[email protected]) with feedback or ideas!

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