Criminal Justice

The Bill of Rights covers all Americans, including suspects, defendants, offenders and prisoners. Many of the protections also apply to those livthe ing on American soil as immigrants, both documented and undocumented. All too often, the rights of those involved in the criminal justice system are compromised or ignored. Disempowered low-income communities of color are especially vulnerable to such abuses because they are targeted by the war on drugs, racial profiling and other discriminatory policies and practices. The ACLU is working to reform the criminal justice system and make the promise of fair treatment a reality for all people.

ACLU of Wisconsin Urges Juvenile Corrections Review Committee to Focus on Childrens’ Well-Being in Making Decisions about Juvenile Facilities
Thursday June 17, 2010
“A core mission of the state schools is to build the competency for responsible and productive community living of these young men,” said ACLU of Wisconsin Executive Director Christopher Ahmuty. “While there may be budgetary concerns, this committee’s decisions must prioritize the needs of youth who are under the state’s control, and who will eventually reenter our communities.”
Press Release: 6/17/2010 - ACLU of Wisconsin Statement on Juvenile Facilities (PDF)

Wisconsin Federal Court Says Transgender People Must Be Allowed Medical Treatment in Prison
Wednesday March 31, 2010
The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin Wednesday struck down a law that barred transgender people from receiving medical care while they are incarcerated. The American Civil Liberties Union and Lambda Legal challenged the law in January 2006 on behalf of transgender prisoners, some of whom had been receiving hormones in Wisconsin prisons for years prior to the passage of the law. The lawsuit charged that it is a violation of the Constitution’s guarantee of equal protection as well as the guarantee against cruel and unusual punishment to bar transgender inmates from access to individualized medical care. The legal groups based their challenge on federal case law that establishes that health care providers must determine proper treatment for all prison inmates. Read more…
Press Release: 4/1/2010 - Wisconsin Federal Court Says Transgender People Must Be Allowed Medical Treatment in Prison (PDF)
U.S. District Court decision: Sundstrom v. Frank

For more resources and information on the ACLU’s work on criminal justice across the nation, please visit the ACLU’s criminal justice link , a part of the ACLU's racial justice project.