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ACLU Files Lawsuit on Behalf of Louisiana Inmate Punished for Mother's Internet Ad Seeking Legal Help for Her Son (09/18/2003)
BATON ROUGE, LA- In a federal lawsuit filed today, the American Civil Liberties Union of Louisiana charged officials at the state penitentiary at Angola with violating an inmate's rights when they punished him because his mother posted an online advertisement seeking legal assistance for her son.

ACLU Returns to Court on Behalf of Women at Medical Risk in Sweltering Baltimore City Jail (08/06/2003)
BALTIMORE -- Attorneys representing hundreds of women confined in the Women's Detention Center (WDC) here will appear before U.S. District Judge J. Frederick Motz today to force state officials to abide by an order issued last summer to protect women at medical risk because of excessive heat in the jail's dormitories, the American Civil Liberties Union announced today.

Correctional Officers and Rights Advocates Agree; Employment for Prisoners Protects Public Safety (07/25/2003)
WASHINGTON, DC- A diverse coalition of correctional officers and prisoners' rights advocates today urged Congress to oppose legislation that would damage federal prison inmate labor programs. The bill, HR 1829, scheduled for mark up in the House Judiciary Committee today, would threaten public safety and impede federal prisoners' rehabilitation.

West Virginia High Court Rules for Fundamental Fairness in Implementing State Prisons' 'Good Behavior' Policy (06/19/2003)
CHARLESTON, WV--In a victory for the due process rights of prison inmates, the state Supreme Court today ruled that prison officials here could not deny an inmate the possibility of earning "good time" credit that could reduce their sentences, the American Civil Liberties of West Virginia announced.

Judge Finds Poor Conditions at Virgin Islands Jail Violate Court Orders (05/29/2003)
ST. THOMAS, VI -- Citing the defendants' willful failure to comply with court orders and provisions of a 1994 settlement agreement to eliminate unconstitutional jail conditions, a federal judge yesterday held territory and corrections officials in St. Thomas in civil contempt for the third time in six years, the American Civil Liberties Union said today.

Court Finds "No Excuse" for Deplorable Conditions on Mississippi's Death Row, Orders Immediate Remedies (05/21/2003)
JACKSON, MS - Ruling in a lawsuit brought by the American Civil Liberties Union, a federal magistrate judge today said that conditions on Mississippi's death row inflict cruel and unusual punishment on the prisoners confined there and ordered the state to end its brutal practices.

Arizona Judge Strikes Down Law that Censored Anti-Death Penalty Web Sites (05/15/2003)
PHOENIX -- The American Civil Liberties Union today welcomed a federal judge's ruling permanently striking down a state law that punishes prisoners who post information about themselves on the Internet and denies organizations the right to post information about prisoners on their own web sites.

ACLU and Alabama Prison Project Release Report Urging Community Corrections as Cost Saving Measure (04/29/2003)
MONTGOMERY, AL-Citing Alabama's budget crisis and dangerously overcrowded prisons, the American Civil Liberties Union and the Alabama Prison Project today released a new budget analysis highlighting a potential savings of $300,000 to $400,000 if the state accepted prisoners living with HIV into existing community-based corrections programs.

ACLU of West Virginia Calls for Fundamental Fairness in Implementing State Prisons' 'Good Behavior' Policy (04/09/2003)
CHARLESTON, WV--The American Civil Liberties Union of West Virginia today argued before the state Supreme Court that prison officials here violated the due process rights of an inmate when they denied him the possibility of earning "good time" credit that could reduce his sentence.

ACLU Applauds Alabama Governor for Prison Reform Efforts and Suggests Ways to Further Positive Steps (04/09/2003)
WASHINGTON-The American Civil Liberties Union today commends the actions of Alabama Governor Bob Riley and state legislators who moved to address the crisis in the state's prison system by approving an emergency appropriations bill for the Alabama Department of Corrections.