Author

Lee Romney

Lee Romney is an independent journalist and an audio producer based in Oakland. She spent 23 years as a reporter for the Los Angeles Times, developing an expertise in mental health, immigration, criminal justice reform, and Native American tribal lands. She took a buyout in late 2015 to freelance in-depth projects close to her heart and learn audio storytelling. Lee is now an independent journalist based in Oakland, producing in-depth sound-rich features. Her print work has appeared in The Guardian, EdSource and Reveal from The Center for Investigative Reporting. Her award-winning radio pieces have aired on Radiolab, KQED’s The California Report Magazine, Making Conatact and NPR’s Here & Now.

Lee's Latest Articles

Voices of Transgender Prisoners
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Essays & Interviews
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October 30, 2023

A 2021 California law aimed to reduce the violence and degradation experienced by trans prisoners, but reporter Lee Romney found that trans women transferred to a women's state prison in Chowchilla have suffered new forms of trauma.

California Prisons Fail to Uphold Transgender Rights Despite State Law
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Investigations
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October 23, 2023

A 2020 California law aimed to make prison safer for transgender people. But for many trans women, abuse and harassment inside has continued to harm their mental health.

When Gayness was a Crime and a Mental Illness: One Man’s Journey from Involuntary Confinement to Pride
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Investigations
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June 24, 2022

This is the story of Gene Ampon, a gay California teen who was arrested in the 1960s and sent to a psychiatric hospital to be "cured" of homosexuality -- and the movement to pride and resilience that helped save him.

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Some therapists who had trouble connecting with youth turned to another source of connection: Minecraft therapy, which follows the approach of play therapy. In this webinar, we’ll talk with two leading experts in the promising genre.

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How Minecraft Therapy Is Transforming Child and Teen Mental Health Care