Kelly Davis has been writing for The San Diego Union-Tribune since 2015, first as a freelance contributor and now as a member of the Watchdog team. She has written extensively, often collaborating with Watchdog reporter Jeff McDonald, on the high rate of deaths in San Diego County jails. Their 2019 series "Dying Behind Bars" and subsequent reports prompted a state audit and new laws to address deficiencies in jail medical and mental health care and oversight. As a freelance reporter for nearly a decade, she covered everything from police reform to San Diego’s efforts to address homelessness to California’s attempts to fix its juvenile justice system. Her work has been honored by the Association of Alternative Newsmedia, the National Alliance on Mental Illness and the National Association for Civilian Oversight of Law Enforcement. In 2023, she was named journalist of the year by the San Diego chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists.
