In July 2023, *Business Insider* released a groundbreaking exposé that shook the foundations of the U.S. prison system. Senior investigations editor Hannah Beckler uncovered the shocking use of attack-trained dogs in correctional facilities—a practice steeped in violence, dehumanization, and systemic abuse. This three-part series and its accompanying documentary not only revealed chilling accounts of inmates being mauled but also spurred legislative reform and underscored the critical importance of investigative journalism in holding power to account.

Imagine being shackled and defenseless as a highly aggressive dog is unleashed upon you. For hundreds of prisoners across the United States, this nightmare was a reality. Beckler’s investigation revealed that dogs trained under brutal conditions in European facilities were used in U.S. prison systems to instill fear and enforce submission. The state of Virginia emerged as an epicenter of this abuse, with attack-trained dogs deployed 18 times more often there than in any other state.

One harrowing testimony came from a Black former inmate in Virginia, who described being attacked by a prison dog while guards hurled racial slurs. The assault left him with irreparable nerve damage and deep emotional scars, symbolizing a systemic culture of dehumanization that thrives in the shadows of unchecked power. These incidents were not isolated aberrations but part of a broader pattern of abuse that prioritized control over humanity.

Beckler’s path to uncovering these abuses was riddled with obstacles. Her 2022 Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests to the Virginia Department of Corrections (VADOC) seeking records of over 150 bite incidents were denied, forcing her to seek help from the University of Virginia’s (UVA) First Amendment Clinic. Led by co-director Lin Weeks and a team of ambitious law students, the clinic took the case to court, advocating for government transparency in ways that went beyond traditional legal work.

In 2024, a Charlottesville trial court ruled for the partial release of surveillance footage from Virginia prisons—a significant, albeit partial, victory. Despite continued redactions and appeals by VADOC, the case marked a critical step toward accountability and underscored the power of collaboration between journalists and legal advocates.

Investigative journalism’s true impact is measured not just by the stories it tells but by the tangible change it inspires. Beckler’s report spurred significant reforms in Virginia. By March 2024, Governor Glenn Youngkin signed legislation limiting the use of attack-trained dogs in state prisons. It also mandated transparency, requiring VADOC to publish detailed reports on canine use-of-force incidents. This marked a watershed moment, forcing a system long shrouded in secrecy to take a step toward accountability.

The ripple effects didn’t stop there. The series earned widespread praise, clinching the 2024 Hillman Prize for Newspaper Journalism and a National Magazine Award. Celebrated author and Hillman Prize judge Ta-Nehisi Coates called the investigation “monumental,” commending its role in exposing systemic injustices while forcing real-world accountability.

At its core, this story is about people—the prisoners whose cries for justice were suppressed, the journalists who refused to look away, and the law students who challenged an opaque system to bring the truth to light. It’s a stark reminder of the fragility of justice and the responsibility we have to demand transparency from institutions built to serve the public good.

What began as a single FOIA request grew into a sweeping investigation that reshaped public policy and ignited a national conversation about cruelty in correctional institutions. Hannah Beckler’s work exemplifies the enduring power of investigative journalism—not just to inform but to provoke change, illuminate the path forward, and ensure abuses like these are never allowed to fester in the dark.

This story is more than an exposé; it is a call to action—a call to demand decency from systems designed to rehabilitate, not dehumanize. As *Business Insider’s* investigation proves, accountability is not inevitable; it must be fought for, tooth and nail, by those courageous enough to pursue the truth.