News & Commentary

It’s critical for Pennsylvanians to let the members of the commission know that we won't accept the commonwealth being one of the worst states in the nation when it comes to mass incarceration, and that we demand better from those who represent us.

Perhaps less well known is that, since its founding in 1920, the ACLU has been engaged in the fight for civil rights and racial equality. In 1931, it took up the case of the Scottsboro Boys – nine African-American teenagers wrongly accused of raping two white women.

As the president continues to use language that dehumanizes and demeans immigrants and refugees while enacting policies to terrorize communities, abuses like those suffered by Arturo and his co-workers will continue.

Last year, we filed a complaint with the state Supreme Court, on behalf of ten people, Youth Art and Self-empowerment Project, and the Philadelphia Community Bail Fund, with the law firm Arnold & Porter as co-counsel.

Probation reform in Pennsylvania is a significant issue with bipartisan support among advocates, legislators, and in our communities.

On behalf of the ACLU of Pennsylvania, we mourn Viviette’s passing and extend our condolences to her family. She was a friend to the organization who will be missed but never forgotten.

Too often, school administrators adopt safety and policing measures that are not based on research, but that are assumed to make schools safer.

Our new report, Punishing Poverty: Cash Bail in Allegheny County, is an analysis of how cash bail drives an epidemic of pretrial detention in Allegheny County.

When it comes to addressing Pennsylvania’s mass incarceration crisis, this election year brings with it a true sense of urgency and a real chance to pave the way for meaningful reform.