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Dismal High School Graduation Rate Violates Florida Constitution, Says ACLU (03/18/2008)

ACLU Sues Over Failed Privately-Run Alternative School In Atlanta (03/11/2008)
ATLANTA – In a case with national implications, the American Civil Liberties Union and ACLU of Georgia filed a class action lawsuit today against the Atlanta Independent School System (AISS) and Community Education Partners (CEP) for violating students’ constitutional right to an adequate public education. CEP is a for-profit corporation paid nearly $7 million a year by the city to run its alternative school, which is among the most dangerous and lowest performing schools in Georgia.

ACLU, Rep. Bobby Scott Call for Multi-front Steps to Ending Youth Violence (11/28/2007)
RICHMOND, Va. – A group of advocates, including the American Civil Liberties Union, joined Representative Bobby Scott (D-VA) today to call on the Virginia community, as well as political and law enforcement leaders, to end the school-to-prison pipeline, the trend of increasingly funneling young people from the school system to the criminal justice system. Panelists discussed Rep. Scott’s Youth PROMISE Act as part of an alternative, focusing on preventing young people from committing crimes and joining gangs rather than just relying on the criminal justice system to punish youths who have broken the law.

Native American Families and Winner School District Announce Settlement in Case Alleging Discrimination (06/18/2007)
WINNER, SD - The Winner/Ideal Native American community and the Winner School District announced today that an agreement has been reached to settle a class action lawsuit brought on behalf of Native American students attending Winner schools.

ACLU Shares Findings of Two-Week Investigation of Girls in Texas Juvenile Justice System (05/24/2007)
AUSTIN, TX - As part of ongoing efforts to reform and restructure Texas’s juvenile justice system, today the American Civil Liberties Union Women’s Rights Project released a preliminary report, A Blueprint for Meeting the Needs of Girls in TYC Custody. On Tuesday the ACLU briefed Texas Youth Commission (TYC) Conservator Jay Kimbrough, Acting Executive Director Ed Owens and new Chief Ombudsman Will Harrell on findings and recommendations in the report that resulted from a two-week investigation of all TYC detention facilities that house girls. The report was presented yesterday to key legislative staffers.

ACLU of Texas and Juvenile Justice Advocates Applaud Passage of Texas Youth Commission Reform Bill (04/19/2007)
AUSTIN, TX - The American Civil Liberties Union of Texas and the Texas Coalition Advocating Justice for Juveniles (TCAJJ) applauded the unanimous passage in the State Senate today of SB 103, the omnibus reform legislation on the Texas Youth Commission (TYC). Both groups were thrilled to see the comprehensive bill pass so quickly after tumultuous weeks of scandals and revelations at the commission.

Groups Launch Campaign to Ensure That Ohio Youth Have Access to Lawyers (04/18/2007)
COLUMBUS, OH - As the Supreme Court of Ohio today heard arguments on protecting children’s right to counsel, the American Civil Liberties Union, the ACLU of Ohio, the Children’s Law Center and the Office of the Ohio Public Defender announced a statewide campaign to inform young people of their rights.

ACLU Urges House of Representatives to Protect Students’ Fourth Amendment Rights (09/19/2006)
WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union today urged the House of Representatives to protect students’ Fourth Amendment rights and reject a bill granting schools broad authority to search students and their personal belongings. H.R. 5295, the “Student Teacher Safety Act of 2006,” would allow school officials to conduct random, wide-scale searches of students without having any individualized suspicion that a particular student is participating in criminal activity or breaking school rules.

Groups Urge Ohio Supreme Court to Ensure Children Have Access to Lawyers (03/09/2006)
COLUMBUS, OH – The American Civil Liberties Union, the Children’s Law Center, the ACLU of Ohio, and the Office of the Ohio Public Defender today filed a petition urging the state Supreme Court to better protect the right to counsel for children accused of a crime.

Children Sentenced to Life Without Parole Bring Plea to Human Rights Body (02/22/2006)
NEW YORK - The national American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU of Michigan today filed a petition urging the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights to rule that sentencing children to mandatory life without the possibility of parole violates the Declaration of the Rights of Man and universal human rights principles.

ACLU of New Mexico Wins Agreement to Overhaul State Juvenile Justice System (02/17/2006)
ALBUQUERQUE – The American Civil Liberties Union of New Mexico and the San Francisco-based Youth Law Center today announced a settlement agreement with New Mexico’s Children Youth and Families Department that requires sweeping improvements in security, mental health programming, and rehabilitation services in juvenile detention facilities across the state. It also mandates the closure of the troubled New Mexico Boy’s School in Springer.

ACLU of Michigan Applauds Introduction of Legislation to Reform "Juvenile Life Without Parole" Sentences (11/03/2005)
DETROIT - One year after the American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan released a report calling attention to the more than 300 juveniles living out life sentences in Michigan prisons with no hope of rehabilitation or release, legislation was introduced in Lansing today to correct the laws that punish children as adults.

ACLU Urges Hawai'i to Act on Department of Justice Report on Youth Correctional Facility (08/12/2005)
HONOLULU -- The American Civil Liberties Union of Hawai'i is urging state officials to act immediately on the Department of Justice's report released today about its investigation into problematic conditions and practices at the Hawai'i Youth Correctional Facility, many of which were uncovered by an earlier ACLU inquiry.

NYCLU Hails Decision by Bronx DA to Dismiss Criminal Charges Against School Officials (04/12/2005)
NEW YORK--The New York Civil Liberties Union today praised the decision of the Bronx District Attorney to dismiss criminal charges against a high school principal and a school safety officer who were arrested for interference when they tried to stop the arrest of a 16-year-old student.

Growing Rate of Juvenile Life Sentences Examined in ACLU of Michigan Report (09/14/2004)
DETROIT - In a report released today, the American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan called attention to the growing number of juveniles serving life sentences in Michigan prisons with no hope of rehabilitation or release.

ACLU Urges Hawaii Governor to Break Stalemate Over Brutal Conditions at Youth Correctional Facility (06/14/2004)
HONOLULU-The American Civil Liberties Union of Hawaii urged Governor Linda Lingle today to break a stalemate and finally address the brutal and unconstitutional treatment of children at the Hawaii Youth Correctional Facility.

Federal Appeals Court Overturns Juvenile Nighttime Curfew Ordinance in Connecticut Town (06/03/2003)
VERNON, CT-Saying that a juvenile curfew ordinance in place here unjustly interferes with young peoples' freedom of movement, a federal appeals court today reversed a Connecticut trial court and declared the ordinance unconstitutional in a case brought by the American Civil Liberties Union of Connecticut.

CA Supreme Court Hears Arguments Against Sweeping Juvenile Justice Measure Today (12/05/2001)
LOS ANGELES--The state's highest court will hear arguments today in a landmark case that tests whether Proposition 21, the largest crime-related initiative in California history, violates the state Constitution and strips courts of their traditional powers. 

CA Law Aimed at Gang Violence is Unconstitutional, ACLU and Youth Rights Groups Argue (09/06/2001)
SAN FRANCISCO - The American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California, Southern California, and San Diego in coalition with other voter and youth advocacy groups today filed a friend-of-the-court brief in the California Supreme Court challenging California's Proposition 21, the "Gang Violence and Juvenile Crime Prevention Act."

ACLU Wins Higher Legal Standards for Gang Injunctions (05/10/2001)
SAN DIEGO -- The California Court of Appeal ruled today that prosecutors must first prove through clear and convincing evidence that a young man is a gang member before using an anti-gang injunction to restrict his right to engage in everyday activities.