That is the standard for the Eighth Amendment's protection--the Constitution protects inmates in prisons and jails from "deliberate indifference to a serious medical need."  There are few medical needs more serious than drug addiction, but unfortunately very few prisons and jails do enough to provide tools to inmates to help treat and overcome addiction.  In a well-researched article in today' New York Times, Katie Zezima and A | continue reading

As Alex Abdo, noted on the ACLU Blog of Rights last week, the latest documents concerning the government's suspcionless surveillance program were shocking in their frankness.  In particular, the FBI acknowledged why the government doesn't want the public to know about this surveillance--people would get mad at their phone companies | continue reading

Isn't Maine considering one of these unconstitutional racial profiling-promoting bills next week? Hmmm, that gives me an idea.

Individuals and groups from across the political spectrum are gathering today in Augusta to show support for reproductive freedom and to oppose three bills that would put women's health at risk.  So far, the coverage of the reproductive freedom press conference has been very positive.  The Portland Press Herald quoted Rep. | continue reading

In a column in today’s Portland Press Herald, M.D. Harmon strains logic past the breaking point.  The piece begins with a criticism of Hilary Clinton’s 1996 book, “It Takes a Village”—always a good warm-up act, even 15 years after publication.  Harmon quotes approvingly from a criticism of the book based on its supposed paternalism and endorsement of “big government”—government is supposedly the village, and the public is the child.
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When it comes to civil rights, we tend to focus on the substance--do people of color get to go to school with white students?  do women get to decide whether or when to have a child? does the law treat same-sex couples fairly?
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It begins this week.  On Wednesday April 6, the Taxation Committee of the Maine Legislature will conduct public hearings on two bills to fund religious school tuition with tax expenditures.  These are the first of many bills up for consideration this session that will allow for a system of government-funded religion here in Maine.  The principle against funding religion with public money pre-dates the Bill of Rights, and it has served this state | continue reading

There is no such thing as a secure computer system.  Today, the New York Times reports that SecurID, a company which "pioneered advanced cryptographic systems" has been the victim of a serious security breach.  They are one of the international leaders in securing computer information, and even they are vulnerable to breach.
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