Criminal Justice Reform

The rights guaranteed to the accused, defendants, offenders and prisoners are fundamental political rights that protect all Americans from governmental abuse of power.

Criminal Justice Reform

What you need to know

7,000 People

On any given day, more than 7,000 people are incarcerated in Pennsylvania as a result of a supervision violation.

2nd Highest

Pennsylvania ranks second in the nation when it comes to the percentage of its residents on parole or probation.

8.9 Times

Black Pennsylvanians are 8.9 times more likely and Latinx Pennsylvanians 3.3% more likely to be incarcerated than white Pennsylvanians.

These rights include the guarantee against unreasonable search and seizure, the right to reasonable bail, the right to due process of law; and the right to be free from cruel and unusual punishment. They are indispensable to a free society.

Just 2 Days

Detaining an individual before their trial, even for just two days, increases their chances of committing a crime in the future.

Indigent Defense Reform

The landmark 1963 U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Gideon v. Wainwright established the precedent that the Sixth Amendment’s guarantee of an attorney regardless of a person’s ability to pay for private counsel also applies to state courts. Since the Gideon ruling, both the Pennsylvania Supreme Court and the state legislature have reaffirmed this right in the commonwealth.

Yet, Pennsylvania fails to provide the adequate funding or oversight needed for public defenders to successfully offer their clients zealous representation, as demanded by the law. That leaves the commonwealth ranked 45th out of the 50 states in indigent defense funding and tens of thousands of Pennsylvanians who can’t afford to pay for a lawyer without effective defense counsel every year.

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Indigent Defense Reform

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Civil Asset Forfeiture

In the last decade, Pennsylvania law enforcement has taken over $100 million in private property using something called “civil asset forfeiture.” Originally targeted at drug kingpins and the money they made from their crimes, civil asset forfeiture is increasingly used to take homes, cars, and small amounts of cash from ordinary Pennsylvanians.
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Cash Bail

Jailing people because they can not afford to post money bail amounts to wealth-based detention that violates well-established norms of fairness and constitutional principles.
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Montgomery County Reforms Probation and Parole System Following ACLU Lawsuit

Issue Areas: Criminal Justice Reform, Racial Justice
Court Cases: El et al. v. 38th Judicial District et al.
Court Case
Jun 12, 2024

Warren, et al. v. Commonwealth, et al.

Court Case
Oct 04, 2023

K.B. v. Delaware County Office of Judicial Support, et al

The ACLU of Pennsylvania has filed a lawsuit against the Delaware County Office of Judicial Support’s due to the office's refusal to expunge a criminal record due to unpaid court costs, despite a court order requiring expungement.
Court Case
Aug 21, 2023

Radke, et al v. Allegheny County Jail Oversight Board

Court Case
Jun 20, 2023

Damon Monyer and the Pennsylvania Cannabis Coalition v. 23rd Judicial District

The ACLU of Pennsylvania has filed a lawsuit in Berks County regarding two county policies that prohibit individuals from participating in treatment court programs as long as they use medical marijuana to treat their serious medical conditions.