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Broken Promises: Two Years After Katrina
Two years ago, Hurricane Katrina ripped through the Gulf Coast, devastating the homes and lives of millions of people. The ACLU has been inundated with reports of racial injustice and human rights violations in Louisiana and Mississippi, both during and since Katrina. Broken Promises, a comprehensive report from the ACLU, documents the terrible conditions and dangerous lack of planning at the Orleans Parish Prison, and details other increases in police abuse, racial profiling, housing discrimination, along with other civil liberties violations and the ACLU's continuing response.
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ACLU member Kathleen Rumpf from Syracuse, New York, talks about the torture of inmates in American prisons and her experience being incarcerated

Prison Litigation Reform Act Must be Fixed, Law denies justice to victims (04/22/2008)
Washington, DC – The House Judiciary’s Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security is scheduled to examine reform of the Prison Litigation Reform Act (PLRA), which was originally passed by Congress in 1996 as a way to stem the tide against what were thought to be frivolous lawsuits by prisoners. Since that time, the law has been used repeatedly to deny justice to victims of rape, assault, religious rights violations and other serious abuses.

Breakthrough in Case for Children Stuck in Costly Mental Institutions (09/28/2007)
LOS ANGELES - In a breakthrough ruling that affects more than 25,000 California children suffering from serious mental illness, U.S. District Judge A. Howard Matz has ordered an expert to oversee the expansion of home- and community-based mental health services for children who would otherwise end up in costly group homes and institutions.

ACLU Report Exposes Ongoing Civil and Human Rights Violations on the Gulf Coast as Katrina's Second Anniversary Nears (08/20/2007)
NEW ORLEANS - The American Civil Liberties Union today released a report revealing continuing incidents of racial injustice and human rights abuses on the Gulf Coast since Hurricane Katrina devastated the area two years ago. In its report, Broken Promises: Two Years After Katrina, the ACLU exposes numerous civil rights violations that have occurred in Louisiana and Mississippi since the storm, including reports of heightened racially motivated police activity, housing discrimination, and prisoner abuse.

NYCLU Urges City Council to Oppose Jail Standard Changes (06/07/2007)
NEW YORK - In testimony today before the New York City Council, the New York Civil Liberties Union will argue that proposed changes to the Minimum Standards governing New York City jails would erode civil liberties and public safety and unfairly punish pre-trial prisoners who have not been convicted of any crime. Along with a coalition of advocates, the NYCLU will ask the City Council to urge the New York City Board of Correction to abandon the proposed changes.

ACLU of Ohio Demands Department of Justice Investigate Deaths at Butler County Jail (04/10/2007)
HAMILTON, OH - The American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio today sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Justice and Butler County Commissioners urging them to launch an immediate and thorough investigation into a string of suicides at the Butler County Jail. On Sunday, Timothy James Hughes, 19, was found dead in his cell after committing suicide, making him the fourth inmate at Butler County Jail to die in similar circumstances in under a year.

Broken Promises: Two Years After Katrina (08/20/2007)
With Broken Promises: Two Years After Katrina, the ACLU brings Abandoned & Abused into the present. Another year has passed, and OPP remains dangerously ill prepared to handle a future emergency.

A Blueprint for Meeting the Needs of Girls in TYC Custody (05/24/2007)
A Blueprint for Meeting the Needs of Girls in TYC Custody

Abandoned & Abused: Complete Report (08/09/2006)

Baubonyte v. Chertoff - Complaint for Declaratory and Injunctive Relief on Behalf of Egle Baubonyte (03/06/2007)

Yourdkhani v. Chertoff - Complaint for Declaratory and Injunctive Relief on Behalf of Kevin Yourdkhani (03/06/2007)

Bunikyte v. Chertoff - Declaration of Rasa Bunikiene (03/06/2007)

Verdieu v. Chertoff - Declaration of Sherona Verdieu (03/06/2007)

Bunikyte v. Chertoff - Complaint for Declaratory and Injunctive Relief on Behalf of Saule Bunikyte (03/06/2007)

National Prison Project Letter to Rep. Melvin Watt, chair of the Congressional Black Caucus (08/10/2006)
National Prison Project letter asking Congress to audit the Orlean Parish Prison's emergency preparedness plans. The ACLU is calling for a full and immediate investigation into abuses at Louisiana correctional facilities during and after hurricane Katrina and is also urging the DOJ to make the findings from such an investigation public and accessible to state and federal prosecutors.

ACLU National Prison Project Letter to Rep. Cynthia McKinney (08/10/2006)
National Prison Project letter asking Congress to audit the Orlean Parish Prison's emergency preparedness plans. The ACLU is calling for a full and immediate investigation into abuses at Louisiana correctional facilities during and after hurricane Katrina and is also urging the DOJ to make the findings from such an investigation public and accessible to state and federal prosecutors.

National Prison Project Letter to the Department of Justice (08/09/2006)
National Prison Project letter asking Congress to audit the Orlean Parish Prison's emergency preparedness plans. The ACLU is calling for a full and immediate investigation into abuses at Louisiana correctional facilities during and after hurricane Katrina and is also urging the DOJ to make the findings from such an investigation public and accessible to state and federal prosecutors.

Abandoned & Abused: Letter to President Bush (08/09/2006)

National Prison Project Letter to Rep. Tom Davis (Chairman of Select Bipartisan Committee) (08/09/2006)

Broken Promises: Two Years After Katrina - Executive Summary (08/20/2007)
Broken Promises brings Abandoned & Abused into the present. Another year has passed, and OPP remains dangerously ill prepared to handle a future emergency. OPP's House of Detention and Central Lock-Up are both overcrowded and understaffed.

Broken Promises: Two Years After Katrina - Table of Contents (08/20/2007)

Abandoned & Abused: Table of Contents (08/09/2006)

Abandoned & Abused: Executive Summary and Recommendations (08/09/2006)

Summaries of 400 Testimonials From Inmates Incarcerated at Orleans Parish Prison During Hurricane Katrina (01/11/2006)
This document contains summaries of 400 testimonials obtained since mid-October 2005 from inmates who were incarcerated at Orleans Parish Prison during Hurricane Katrina. The ACLU National Prison Project has received more than 1,000 testimonials to date.

Know Your Rights: Environmental Hazards and Toxic Materials (06/02/2006)

Know Your Rights: Assault and Excessive Force (06/02/2006)

Know Your Rights: Disciplinary Sanctions and Punishment (06/02/2006)

Testimonials of Six Inmates Incarcerated at New Orleans Old Parish Prison during Hurricane Katrina (11/18/2005)
Testimonials of Six Inmates Incarcerated at New Orleans Old Parish Prison during Hurricane Katrina

Summary of Testimonials From Inmates Incarcerated at Orleans Parish Prison During Hurricane Katrina (11/18/2005)
Summary of Testimonials from Inmates Incarcerated at New Orleans Old Parish Prison during Hurricane Katrina