News & Commentary

“We know that right now that the struggle freedom and justice is real; we live in the most incarcerated country in the world. There are more black men under correctional control today than under slavery in 1850.” And he is right. One look into our criminal justice system, and it is clear that the fight for racial justice and equality in America is far from over. While black people make up just 13 percent of the U.S. population, they account for almost half of the 2.23 million people incarcerated in this country. One in every three black men will see the inside of prison cell at some point during his life; at any given point, more than 40 percent of prisoners on death row are black.Due to collateral consequences, th

The Academy Awards and civil liberties don’t always go hand in hand, but at last night’s ceremony there were a few surprising moments of synergy between Hollywood and the issues we deal with every day at the ACLU.

Nothing is better than spending a frigid, snowy weekend inside reading a really good book. I spent this particularly cold weekend reading Just Mercy, a memoir by Bryan Stevenson, executive director of the Equal Justice Initiative.

According to documents recently obtained by the ACLU, the Drug Enforcement Administration has initiated a new program linking its National License Plate Recognition initiative with those of law enforcement agencies across the country. According to ACLU Senior Policy Analyst, Jay Stanley, this new program raises major civil liberties concerns, as it would allow the federal government to collect and store huge amounts of data tracking the movements of motorists across the country.

Five years ago, Nick George was going through security at Philadelphia International Airport when he was suddenly asked to step aside for additional screening. What followed was an unbelievable ordeal that ended with him being aggressively interrogated, marched through the airport in handcuffs, and locked in a jail cell for nearly five hours – all because he was carrying a set of English-Arabic flashcards for his college language class along with a book critical of U.S. foreign policy.

Yesterday, we closed our office in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day and observed the legacy of this great civil rights leader. It was an opportunity for us to reflect on the immense gains our country made because of the Civil Rights movement and be inspired by the words, courage and actions of leaders like Dr. King. However it was also an opportunity for us to think about the goals of the Civil Rights movement and, when it comes to racial justice and equality, where America is today.  

Last week, we received the unfortunately news that a Maine lawmaker is introducing legislation to reinstate the death penalty here in Maine. Democratic Senator Bill Diamond of Windham introduced the bill, which will be considered this legislative session.

Earlier today, the ACLU of Missouri filed lawsuitsuit against Robert McCulloch, the prosecuting attorney for St. Louis County, where Michael Brown was killed by Ferguson Police Officer Darren Wilson in August.

For our annual holiday party last week I was tasked with providing music, which I took as a great excuse to assemble a collection of civil rights- and civil liberties-themed songs. Hoping to show how these types of songs have progressed over time, I made a point of picking at least one tune from every decade beginning with the 1930s. It’s fascinating to hear how much has changed in the sound of music over that time, yet sobering once you recognize just how many of the themes from those early songs are still just as relevant today.