Home : Prisoners' Rights

ACLU Joins Lawsuits Charging That Michigan Jail Illegally Forced Inmates to Strip (03/28/2005)
DETROIT - The American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan announced today that it will join in three lawsuits that have been filed against the Saginaw County Jail for allowing egregious and unconstitutional treatment of detainees. All three cases challenge policies that allow prison personnel to strip inmates, and two of the cases charge that detainees were stripped and held naked in a cell referred to as "the hole."

ACLU Applauds Supreme Court Decision Protecting Prisoners from Racial Discrimination (02/23/2005)
WASHINGTON -- The American Civil Liberties Union today hailed a Supreme Court decision rejecting the use of racial segregation as a routine method of prison administration. The Court first held that racially segregated prisons were unconstitutional in a 1968 case brought by the ACLU.

Pennsylvania Jail Requires Religion With Rehabilitation, ACLU Charges (02/17/2005)
TOWANDA, PA-- The only vocational training program available at a Pennsylvania county jail forces prisoners to participate in religious discussions, religious lectures and prayer, the American Civil Liberties Union charged today in a complaint filed in federal court.

Indiana's "Supermax" Confinement Worsens Mental Illness in Prisoners, ACLU Charges (02/03/2005)
INDIANAPOLIS - The extreme isolation and sensory deprivation found in Indiana's Secured Housing Unit spurred four suicides and numerous self-mutilations by mentally ill prisoners, said the American Civil Liberties Union today in a lawsuit filed against state prison officials.

Man Raped by Prison Guard Receives Money Damages in ACLU Lawsuit (12/02/2004)
WASHINGTON- A 25-year-old Texas prisoner, who was repeatedly raped by a prison guard with a history of sexual assault, accepted a settlement in which his rapist and the assistant warden who failed to protect him agreed to pay substantial money damages, the American Civil Liberties Union announced today.

Federal Court Hears Arguments in ACLU of Arkansas Lawsuit Over Unsafe Prison Conditions (12/01/2004)
LITTLE ROCK -- Trial began today in a class-action lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union of Arkansas on behalf of prisoners who charge that their health is at serious risk because of fire and safety violations at a Faulkner County prison, including failure to perform tuberculosis tests on prisoners as required by the state health department.

Federal Court Hears Arguments in ACLU of Arkansas Lawsuit Over Unsafe Prison Conditions (12/01/2004)
LITTLE ROCK -- Trial began today in a class-action lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union of Arkansas on behalf of prisoners who charge that their health is at serious risk because of fire and safety violations at a Faulkner County prison, including failure to perform tuberculosis tests on prisoners as required by the state health department.

ACLU Settles Lawsuit Challenging Censorship Policies in Colorado Prisons (11/30/2004)
DENVER--The American Civil Liberties Union of Colorado announced today that it has settled its lawsuit challenging the state's broad censorship of books, newspapers, magazines, and political commentary available to prisoners.

New ACLU Report Documents Harsh Conditions Faced by Women Living on Death Row (11/29/2004)
WASHINGTON - A new report released today by the American Civil Liberties Union -- the first-ever national survey of women currently on Death Row -- found that women who have been sentenced to death are often subjected to harsh living conditions, including being forced to live in virtual isolation, and many are sentenced for crimes that don't result in a death sentence for men.

County Jail Failing to Test Prisoners for Tuberculosis as Required by Department of Health, ACLU of Arkansas Charges (10/08/2004)
LITTLE ROCK--The American Civil Liberties Union of Arkansas today announced that is charging officials at the Faulkner County Detention Center with endangering the health of prisoners and the public by not performing skin tests for tuberculosis (TB) on prisoners as required by the state health department. The ACLU said the county is also in violation of Arkansas Fire and Life Safety Codes regarding occupancy.

Legal Aid Society and ACLU Charge Milwaukee County With 13,000 Violations of Court Order to Run Jail Safely and Humanely (09/14/2004)
MILWAUKEE, WI - The Legal Aid Society of Milwaukee and the American Civil Liberties Union of Wisconsin today announced that they are seeking a contempt order against the Milwaukee County and the Sheriff's Department for holding people for days at a time in crowded, degrading and dangerous conditions in the county jail's booking room, in violation of a court-ordered settlement agreement.