Sarah Betancourt

Freelance reporter, Formerly worked for CommonWealth

About Sarah Betancourt

Sarah Betancourt is a long-time Latina reporter in Massachusetts. Prior to joining Commonwealth, Sarah was a breaking news reporter for The Associated Press in Boston, and a correspondent with The Boston Globe and The Guardian. She has written about immigration, incarceration, and health policy for outlets like NBC, The Boston Institute for Nonprofit Journalism, and the New York Law Journal. Sarah has reported stories such as a national look at teacher shortages, how databases are used by police departments to procure information on immigrants, and uncovered the spread of an infectious disease in children at a family detention center. She has covered the State House, local and national politics, crime and general assignment.

Sarah received a 2018 Investigative Reporters and Editors Award for her role in the ProPublica/NPR story, “They Got Hurt at Work and Then They Got Deported,” which explored how Florida employers and insurance companies were getting out of paying workers compensation benefits by using a state law to ensure injured undocumented workers were arrested or deported. Sarah attended Emerson College for a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Communication, and Columbia University for a fellowship and Master’s degree with the Stabile Center for Investigative Journalism.

About Sarah Betancourt

Sarah Betancourt is a long-time Latina reporter in Massachusetts. Prior to joining Commonwealth, Sarah was a breaking news reporter for The Associated Press in Boston, and a correspondent with The Boston Globe and The Guardian. She has written about immigration, incarceration, and health policy for outlets like NBC, The Boston Institute for Nonprofit Journalism, and the New York Law Journal. Sarah has reported stories such as a national look at teacher shortages, how databases are used by police departments to procure information on immigrants, and uncovered the spread of an infectious disease in children at a family detention center. She has covered the State House, local and national politics, crime and general assignment.

Sarah received a 2018 Investigative Reporters and Editors Award for her role in the ProPublica/NPR story, “They Got Hurt at Work and Then They Got Deported,” which explored how Florida employers and insurance companies were getting out of paying workers compensation benefits by using a state law to ensure injured undocumented workers were arrested or deported. Sarah attended Emerson College for a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Communication, and Columbia University for a fellowship and Master’s degree with the Stabile Center for Investigative Journalism.

Stories by Sarah Betancourt

Senate committee faults Hodgson for not admitting Chang-Diaz

2 GOP members agree but vote no on report

06/01/20 restaurant, reopening, coronavirus

Restaurants struggling to survive amid COVID

But owner says some problems government-inflicted

Baker still optimistic despite vaccine delay

State expects 35,000 fewer doses by end of month

Hodgson also tangling with Chang-Diaz

She calls for prosecution; he calls her most ‘pro-illegal rep”

Ruling permits citizen recordings of police

Appeals court rejects arguments by Rollins, Healey

Hodgson puts Healey report ‘down the sewer pipe’

Sheriff, AG don’t see eye to eye on May 1 incident

House rejects Baker’s abortion amendment

Governor refuses to say whether he’ll issue veto

Healey pushes to block immigrant detention at jail

Hodgson cites AG’s ‘pro-illegal immigrant agenda’

Healey: Civil rights of ICE detainees violated

Report assesses violent confrontation at Bristol County Jail

Senate bill would aid crime victims and witnesses with visas  

Legislation would help undocumented immigrants secure needed documentation 

At Pittsfield nursing home, outsiders are suspected cause of outbreak

Number of deaths at Hillcrest Commons climbs to 32

Housing assistance funds trickling out

Tenant advocates demanding meeting with administration say slow pace could increase evictions

Prisoners get high priority for vaccine

Advocates hail decision but continue to press for releases

Vaccine to roll out in 3 phases; no cost for shots

Tentative goal is ‘herd immunity’ in 6 to 9 months

Baker takes the state back a step

Worried about health care system being swamped

Boys & Girls Clubs become remote learning centers

Lesser seeks $2.2 million to help fund their efforts

Baker announces expanded testing, limits on elective surgery

Cases ‘took off like a rocket,’ he says  

MCI-Norfolk prisoner in his 80s dies of COVID-19

Inmate had previously tested negative early last month

Initial 300,000 vaccine doses will be used as first shot

Healthcare workers will be prioritized at start

Now is not the time to give in to ‘COVID fatigue’

Vaccines are on the way, but not for awhile

DOC: Few prisoners would qualify for home confinement

Estimates 20 to 25 inmates of 6,700 would be released at a time during pandemic

Police reform milestones and missed opportunities

Many issues are shunted off to commissions, committees

Compromise police reform bill reported out

Bill punts issue of qualified police immunity to commission

Elite artists face challenges on green cards

How do you prove ‘extraordinary ability’ during pandemic?

Out-of-pocket COVID-19 test costs piling up

Get tested is the mantra, but it’s not always free

17% of prisoners at MCI-Shirley have COVID-19

Case count jumps from 5 to 142 in 2 weeks

Baker says fraud rampant with unemployment insurance

Only 1,000 of 31,000 claims passed screening last week

Poll: Residents divided on policy response to evictions

Most say state should do more, but unclear about what

In-person learning now considered ‘high risk’ by CDC

Change in guideline quietly made on agency website 

Baker administration crafting home confinement guidelines

Rep. Sabadosa calls it ‘an important first step’