News & Commentary about Mass Incarceration

Mass Incarceration image
The ACLU works in courts, legislatures, and communities to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties that the Constitution and the laws of the United States guarantee everyone in this country.

Mar 13, 2023

Three Years Later, COVID-19 is Still a Threat to People Who Are Incarcerated

People hold up a banner saying "No Execution by Covid-19."
Three Years Later, COVID-19 is Still a Threat to People Who Are Incarcerated

Jun 15, 2022

Captive Labor: Exploitation of Incarcerated Workers

A collage of images depicting prison labor.
Captive Labor: Exploitation of Incarcerated Workers

Jun 2, 2022

What if Algorithms Worked For Accused People, Instead of Against Them?

A prisoner holding his extended and clasped hands between the bars of his cell.
What if Algorithms Worked For Accused People, Instead of Against Them?

Oct 8, 2021

What the Supreme Court Can and Can't Do About Mass Incarceration in the Current Term

Side profile of the Supreme Court in Washington, DC
What the Supreme Court Can and Can't Do About Mass Incarceration in the Current Term

Jul 14, 2021

How America Disguised 65,000 Prison Beds

Clean lawn and tidy oak trees in front of an apartment complex
How America Disguised 65,000 Prison Beds

Mar 10, 2021

Meet the Activists Fighting to Free People from LA Jails

Nalya Rodriguez of the Youth Justice Coalition in Los Angeles
Meet the Activists Fighting to Free People from LA Jails

Feb 5, 2021

What It’s Like to Face a Deadly Pandemic Behind Bars

Hendrey Boykins in Phoenix, Arizona.
What It’s Like to Face a Deadly Pandemic Behind Bars

Feb 5, 2021

Filmmaker Garrett Bradley on Time in the Criminal Justice System

A somber black and white still featuring Sibil "Fox" Richardson from director Garrett Bradley's documentary, "Time."
Filmmaker Garrett Bradley on Time in the Criminal Justice System

Dec 24, 2020

Incarcerated People Should Get Priority Access to the COVID-19 Vaccine. It's the Smart and Humane Thing to Do.

Syringes with doses of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine on a surgical tray.
Incarcerated People Should Get Priority Access to the COVID-19 Vaccine. It's the Smart and Humane Thing to Do.

Dec 7, 2020

Bold and Visionary: A Criminal Justice To-Do List for the New Administration

Black and white protest sign reads: "No More Drug War, End Mass Incarceration"
Bold and Visionary: A Criminal Justice To-Do List for the New Administration