This series looks at a privately operated but state funded program created to deal with people who have two strikes against them:  a court has judged them to be mentally retarded, and they have been accused of a sexual offense for which, because of their disability, they cannot consitutionally be brought to trial.  Our series, which began in October 2008 and runs (so far) through September 2009, deals with "clients" who found the Safe Choices Program humiliating, confining, threatening and mentally abusive.  None of our subjects quite fits the definition Safe Choices was created to serve.  They had never been formally charged with a serious sexual offense, but instead were suspected of sexual misbehaviour and sent to Safe Choices by public or private guardians.

This Feburary the series garnered a first place award for investigative reporting in the New England Newspaper and Press Association's Annual Better Newspaper Contest.   The citation read:

Weekly Class 2 • First Place

Paul Lefebvre and Chris Braithwaite, The Chronicle, Barton, VT

The Chronicle investigated an important issue that does not ordinarily get a lot of attention from newspapers. The reporters did a great job of spelling out the tribulations of these men. Very nice writing.