Press Releases
about Prisoners' Rights
Jun 23, 2026
ACLU Statement Responding to the Supreme Court Ruling in Case on Religious Freedom for Incarcerated People
WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court issued a decision today ruling against Damon Landor, a Rastafari man whose dreadlocks were forcibly shaved by Louisiana prison officials in violati...
Issue Areas:
Prisoners' Rights
Dec 23, 2025
ICE to Provide Urgent Medical Care for Two Plaintiffs at California City Detention Facility Following Emergency Filing
SAN FRANCISCO — Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agreed yesterday to provide immediate medical care for two individuals being held in the California City Detention Facil...
Issue Areas:
Immigrants' Rights
Prisoners' Rights
Oct 14, 2025
ACLU Statement on the Passing of Miss Major Griffin-Gracy
NEW YORK - Miss Major Griffin-Gracy, a lifelong organizer and activist for the safety and dignity of transgender people, sex workers, and the incarcerated, passed away yesterday, a...
Issue Areas:
LGBTQ Rights
Prisoners' Rights
Sep 22, 2025
New ACLU Report Reveals Humanitarian Crisis of Rapidly Aging Prison Population
NEW YORK – The American Civil Liberties Union and the Prison and Jail Innovation Lab at the University of Texas LBJ School of Public Affairs released Trapped in Time: The Silent ...
Issue Areas:
Prisoners' Rights
Jun 18, 2025
Supreme Court Strengthens Access to Justice for Incarcerated People
WASHINGTON – The Supreme Court ruled today that incarcerated people have the right to a jury trial on questions about whether they had access to a prison’s grievance process wh...
Issue Areas:
Prisoners' Rights
Court case: Perttu v Richards
Jun 03, 2025
Federal Judge Temporarily Enjoins Federal Prison Officials from Withholding Health Care From Incarcerated Trans People
WASHINGTON – A federal district court judge has granted a preliminary injunction blocking enforcement of a Trump Administration executive order prohibiting federal Bureau of Pris...
Issue Areas:
Prisoners' Rights
LGBTQ Rights
Court case: Kingdom v. Trump
About the ACLU
The American Civil Liberties Union has media staff available to handle inquiries from journalists on national issues affecting civil liberties, including questions on legislative matters that touch on civil liberties and constitutional freedoms and inquiries related to ACLU lawsuits.
To schedule an interview with an ACLU expert, email media@aclu.org.
Contact an ACLU Affiliate
The ACLU has 54 local offices across the U.S. working with attorneys and activists in their communities to shape better policies and spread awareness about their states' priority civil rights issues.
Local inquiries should be directed to the appropriate ACLU state affiliate.
The Latest in Prisoners' Rights
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News & CommentaryMay 2026
Prisoners' Rights
Juvenile Justice
Children Describe 'despair, Loneliness, And Boredom' At Colorado Juvenile Detention Centers. Explore News & Commentary.Children Describe 'Despair, Loneliness, and Boredom' at Colorado Juvenile Detention Centers
ACLU class-action lawsuit urges state of Colorado to release children from jails to community-based settings while awaiting decisions in their juvenile delinquency cases. Kids with disabilities and foster children are particularly vulnerable. -
New Mexico Supreme CourtJan 2026
Prisoners' Rights
Franklin V. Martinez. Explore Case.Franklin v. Martinez
This case raises the question whether New Mexico courts should retire their current, federal-centric approach to interpreting the New Mexico Constitution—a method known as the “interstitial approach”—and embrace an independent approach that would allow them to more readily diverge from federal courts in light of New Mexico’s own law, history, and values. The Court’s decision could have major implications for New Mexicans’ ability to vindicate their state constitutional rights. -
News & CommentaryNov 2025
Prisoners' Rights
+2 Issues
Gary Tyler Spent 42 Years In Prison For A Crime He Didn't Commit. Racism Put Him There.. Explore News & Commentary.Gary Tyler Spent 42 Years in Prison for a Crime He Didn't Commit. Racism Put Him There.
Tyler’s case shows how bias, fear, and discrimination drive wrongful convictions — and why confronting racial injustice in the legal system remains urgent today. -
News & CommentaryOct 2025
Prisoners' Rights
+2 Issues
Biometric Bracelets For Prisoners. Explore News & Commentary.Biometric bracelets for prisoners
Invading privacy as well as "barking up the wrong tree"