Courts across Louisiana routinely jail people for no reason other than their inability to pay court-ordered fines, even though that practice was deemed unconstitutional more than thirty years ago.
August 4, 2015
Neighborhoods are not war zones, and our police officers should not be treating us like wartime enemies. However, the ACLU encountered this type of story over and over when studying the militarization of state and local law enforcement agencies.
June 23, 2014
In an in-depth study of people serving life without parole for nonviolent offenses in the United States, the ACLU found that at least 3,278 prisoners fit this category in federal and state prisons combined.
September 13, 2013
Between 2001 and 2010, there were over 8 million pot arrests in the U.S. That’s one every 37 seconds and hundreds of thousands ensnared in the criminal justice system. Marijuana use is roughly equal among Blacks and whites, yet Blacks are 3.73 times as likely to be arrested for marijuana possession.
June 4, 2013
At America’s Expense compiles extensive data detailing epidemic of aging prisoners in the United States. It provides a comprehensive 50-state and federal analysis of the unnecessary incarceration of aging prisoners.
June 3, 2012
Since President Richard Nixon first announced the "War on Drugs" 40 years ago, the United States has adopted "tough on crime" criminal justice policies that have given it the dubious distinction of having the highest incarceration rate in the world.
August 9, 2011