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Pivotal Juvenile Justice Legislation Passes First Hurdle (10/29/2009)
WASHINGTON – A bipartisan bill to combat youth violence was passed by the House Subcommittee on Crime today. The bill, H.R. 1064, would fund prevention and intervention programs that are comprehensive, community-centered and evidence-based efforts to combat gangs and youth violence. The Youth Prison, Reduction through Opportunities, Mentoring, Intervention, Support and Education Act, known as “Youth PROMISE,” is sponsored by Representative Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (D-VA) and currently has over 230 cosponsors. The bill is expected to be marked up by the full House Judiciary Committee soon.

Legislation To End Crack Cocaine Sentencing Disparity Introduced In Senate Today (10/15/2009)
WASHINGTON – A bill was introduced today in the Senate that would eliminate the discriminatory disparity between crack and powder cocaine sentencing under federal law. The bill, the Fair Sentencing Act of 2009, was introduced by Senator Richard Durbin (D-IL) and would also eliminate the mandatory five-year sentence for simple possession of crack. A similar bill, H.R. 3245, the Fairness in Cocaine Sentencing Act of 2009, is currently awaiting a vote in the House.

ACLU Tells Chesterfield That Proposed Home Search Ordinance Violates Privacy Rights of Tenants (10/13/2009)
Chesterfield County, VA – The ACLU of Virginia has warned Chesterfield County officials that a controversial proposal to inspect rental units without a warrant infringes on the constitutional rights of owners and tenants.

ACLU Opposes Proposed Rule That Would Make Jurors Anonymous in Criminal Trials (09/01/2009)
Richmond, VA – The ACLU of Virginia has submitted comments to the Virginia Supreme Court asking it not to approve a proposed rule that would make jurors anonymous in all state court criminal trials. The civil liberties organization says the proposed rule is unconstitutional and that it is prepared to mount a legal challenge if it is adopted.

American Civil Liberties Union Mourns Senator Edward Kennedy (08/26/2009)
WASHINGTON – The American Civil Liberties Union today mourned the passing of Senator Edward Kennedy (D-MA) who succumbed to brain cancer Tuesday night.

Sample of Publications (12/17/2002)

Craig v. State of Minnesota - Amicus Brief - District Court (09/17/2007)

Simmonds v. New York City Department of Corrections Complaint (07/13/2006)
Simmonds v. New York City Department of Corrections Complaint

ACLU v. DoD, Second Amended Declaration of Richard B. Myers (pt 1) (08/29/2005)

ACLU v. DoD motion to vacate protective order and for access to papers filed by the government (08/11/2005)

ACLU Amicus Brief in U.S. v. Patane (09/19/2003)

Coalition Letter to the Senate Urging Cosponsorship and Support of S.714, the National Criminal Justice Commission Act of 2009 (10/21/2009)

Coalition Letter to the House and Senate Armed Services Committees Opposing the Mandatory Minimum Provision in the FY-2010 National Defense Authorization Act (09/28/2009)

Justice Roundtable Coalition Letter to the House Urging Co-Sponsorship of H.R. 3245, the “Fairness in Cocaine Sentencing Act of 2009” (09/23/2009)

ACLU Letter to the Senate Supporting S. 714, the National Criminal Justice Commission (06/17/2009)
On behalf of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), a nonpartisan organization with more than a half million activists and members and 53 affiliates nationwide, we urge you to co-sponsor S. 714, the National Criminal Justice Commission Act of 2009, recently introduced by Senator Jim Webb (D-VA). The measure would create a bipartisan commission tasked with examining the nation’s criminal justice system and offering reform recommendations in a number of important areas including sentencing policy, rates of incarceration, law enforcement, crime prevention, substance abuse, mental health treatment, corrections and re-entry.

ACLU Coalition Letter to the House Appropriations Committee Urging Reallocation of Byrne Grant Funding in the Stimulus (02/26/2009)
On January 15th, the House Appropriations Committee released the draft of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. In this draft, $3 billion in funding was earmarked for State and Local Law Enforcement Assistance through the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program, and an additional $1 billion is set aside for hiring law enforcement officers under the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) program. The undersigned organizations applaud the Appropriations Committee for recognizing that economic stimulus can be achieved through improving public safety and justice systems. However, we believe that focusing solely on law enforcement is misguided and could be counterproductive in terms of improving the state and national economy; we urge the reallocation of this $4 billion to a broader, more comprehensive set of services and programs that not only will improve economies, but improve public safety and decrease spending on jails, prisons and law enforcement. Below are some key points for you to consider when making your spending decisions:

Report by the Constitution Project, "Balancing Act - Legislative Power and Judicial Independence" (09/27/2004)

Sample of Resources (12/17/2002)

10 Reasons to Oppose "3 Strikes, You're Out" (03/17/2002)

Links to Other Criminal Justice Sites (03/12/2002)

The Bill of Rights: A Brief History (03/04/2002)
In the summer of 1787, delegates from the 13 states convened in Philadelphia and drafted a remarkable blueprint for self-government -- the Constitution of the United States. The first draft set up a system of checks and balances that included a strong executive branch, a representative legislature and a federal judiciary.

Know Your Rights: Pregnancy-Related Health Care in Prison or Jail (08/01/2008)
Information on inmates' right to pregnancy-related care while incarcerated.

Sample of Fact Sheets (12/17/2002)