News & Commentary
We Need to Move Beyond the Frame of the “Bad Apple Cop”
I and others have argued that video has “killed trust in police officers.” Police have been able to get away with a lot of abuse because judges, juries, and the public have usually deemed police officers more credible than abuse victims. But with a regular parade of videos being posted online, a certain naive faith in police officers held by many Americans may be eroding.
By By Jay Stanley, Senior Policy Analyst, ACLU Speech, Privacy & Technology Project
How Did a Lifelong Prison Sentence for an Iraq Vet Turn Into an Imminent Death Sentence?
Courtney Lockhart is an Iraqi war veteran now on Alabama's death row, but he shouldn't be.
By By Cassandra Stubbs, Director, ACLU Capital Punishment Project
Big Government v. Traumatized Defenseless Children = Justice?
Imagine a child alone in immigration court – defenseless – representing herself against a government prosecutor, standing before an immigration judge, and trying, in a language she does not speak, to make a case for her life. Unfortunately, this horrifying scene takes place regularly across the country and Congress is currently debating legislation that could make an unhappy ending to this scene even more likely.
By By Joanne Lin, Washington Legislative Office
America's Mass Incarceration Habit Needs a Serious Fix
When I was growing up in East Flatbush, one of the toughest neighborhoods in Brooklyn, one of my very best friends was something else. He, let's call him MZ, could have had Hollywood on a string. He was actually my inspiration for becoming an actor.
By By Michael K. Williams
Judge to Government: 'National Security' Isn't a 'Magic Word' That Allows Constitutional Rights Violations
For the past seven months, the Department of Homeland Security has been detaining and refusing to release immigrant mothers and children – even newborns – who have fled extreme violence and persecution in Central America to seek refuge in the United States. Why would the government implement such a heartless policy? To send this message to other people who may consider coming in the future: "You're not welcome."
By By Lindsay Nash, Skadden Fellow, Immigrants' Rights Project
Can You Think of a Better Way to Spend $7.2 Billion Than Unnecessarily Locking Up Nonviolent Offenders and Undocumented Immigrants?
The Department of Justice spends $7.2 billion a year to incarcerate over 209,000 people in the federal Bureau of Prisons at a cost of over $30,000 per year per person.
By By Jesselyn McCurdy, ACLU Washington Legislative Office
'Tech Can Be a Champion of Privacy,' Edward Snowden Tells Tech Leaders at SXSW
By By Noa Yachot, Communications Strategist, ACLU
CISA Isn't About Cybersecurity, It's About Surveillance
They say the first step is admitting you have a problem. But sometimes that's the easy part.
By By Rachel Nusbaum, Media Strategist, ACLU Washington Legislative Office
Discovering Hope in Selma
Even with a ticket, I was unable to get close enough to hear President Obama or see any of the other notable people speaking at the Pettus Bridge in Selma last Saturday. And I was not among those fortunate enough to find space in the historic Brown Memorial Chapel to hear Eric Holder or the host of other celebrated leaders crowding in to commemorate the anniversary of Bloody Sunday. The event was a magnet for the famous, but I managed not to spot a single celebrity in the two days I spent in the welcome warmth of Selma's crowded streets.
By By Dennis Parker, Director, ACLU Racial Justice Program
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