FOIA Archives

In Their Words: Here’s What MBTA Workers Say About Their Agency

“Employees feel that they give feedback in surveys and then nothing changes.” “Communication is not direct and not consistent.”

CHRIS FARAONE January 7, 2025

NEW BINJ COLLABORATION WITH INVISIBLE INSTITUTE

The lack of comprehensive employment history data in Massachusetts is driven home by the launch of a data tool for exactly that information from 17 other states this week

CHRIS FARAONE September 18, 2024

Half The Story: A Deep Dive On What’s Come Of Police Reform In Massachusetts

Massachusetts passed historic police certification reform. But even with the POST Commission, the public can’t see which cops have been part of the “officer shuffle.”

CHRIS FARAONE AND SAM STECKLOW September 18, 2024

NOW ARRIVING: A MAJOR MBTA DOCUMENT DUMP

BINJ receives critical MBTA safety documents after successfully appealing agency’s public records request denial

CHRIS FARAONE August 20, 2024

LACK OF TRAINS-PARENCY AT MBTA

The T commissioned multiple safety studies costing millions, but officials refuse to release the reports. Transparency advocates say the agency is using “Orwellian doublespeak” to conceal the findings.

DAN ATKINSON July 15, 2024

THE SEVEN YEARS WAR

Boston police used their fusion center to surveil my journalistic actions. It took nearly seven years for BPD to hold itself somewhat accountable, and only after they used my information in a Department of Homeland Security conference presentation. The department violated transparency laws and their own policies to hide their

MAYA SHAFFER July 13, 2023

PUBLIC RECORDS CRISIS DEEPENS

The case pertains to an investigation into the use of rodenticides by government agencies You have five days to agree to give us $22,000, or else … While this may sound like an extortion note from a B movie, it’s essentially a newly state sanctioned proper response to a public

MAYA SHAFFER May 2, 2022

THE PANDEMIC PAYDAY CONTINUES—FOR CONSULTANTS

Image via City Life/Vida Urbana Mass uses questionable tools to investigate eviction relief applicants State officials are spending more than $750,000 of COVID-19 aid on corporate consultants who will investigate applicants for eviction relief by running analytics on applications that housing advocates say can prevent residents from getting the relief

DAN ATKINSON April 12, 2022

A WIN FOR TRANSPARENCY AND POLICE ACCOUNTABILITY IN MASS

“We don’t go into things looking to file lawsuits, but when we feel like people have not followed the law, we challenge them.” A judge excoriated Worcester for its unlawful three-year campaign to keep police misconduct records secret from a local newspaper, writing in a recent ruling that a city

ANDREW QUEMERE February 8, 2022

BATTLE: SGARS

Poisons used by Mass municipalities are killing more than just the rats they’re targeting. In practice, their controversial tactics may actually protect the rodent population. It was a sunny Friday morning in late July of this year when Jodi Sylvester, a wildlife photographer from central Massachusetts, drove into the Boston area to check

LAURA KIESEL December 16, 2021