The Bill of Rights covers all Americans, including suspects, defendants, offenders and prisoners. Many of the protections also apply to those living on American soil as immigrants, documented and undocumented. All too often, the rights of those involved in the criminal justice system are compromised or ignored. Disempowered low-income communities of color are especially vulnerable to such abuses because they are targeted by the war on drugs, racial profiling and other discriminatory policies and practices. The ACLU is working to reform the criminal justice system and make the promise of fair treatment a reality for all people.
- Law Enforcement Transparency and Accountability
Mississippi wants law enforcement officers who protect citizens' rights, however we know that some officers' misconduct will violate citizens rights. The ACLU-MS works to implement systems for law enforcement transparency so that citizens are able to know whether or not officers are abusing their power, and if so, how to institute reform.
- Prison Reform
The ACLU of Mississippi is well known in the state for prison conditions cases. The ACLU of Mississippi, under the leader-ship of the ACLU National Prison Project, successfully litigated two major conditions cases in Mississippi's infamous Parchman maximum security facility on behalf of inmates with HIV/AIDS and inmates on death row.
- Juvenile Criminal Justice Reform
In Mississippi, the line between the criminal justice system and the public education system can be so tenuous that people commonly speak of a 'schoolhouse to jailhouse pipeline'. Law enforcement officers are found in many public schools, and incidents that historically would have been resolved by teachers and administrators are now handled by police. The result is that incidents that at one time would have resulted in detention or suspension, now result in arrests. The ACLU is commited to closing the schoolhouse to jailhouse pipeline. By working with local parents and students, we help teach communities how to take back their school districts so that schools educate, not incarcerate, young people.
- Challenging the 'War on Drugs'
The ACLU of Mississippi’s Criminal Justice Reform Project takes on multiple facets in Mississippi, including challenging unconstitutional disparities within the so-called 'War on Drugs'. On the state level, the project examines abuse by law enforcement of confidential informants and the disparity in sentencing based on race. At the local, grassroots level, the project works within local communities to educate residents how to document abuses of the system. This documentation is then used to implement reforms through local policy reforms, legistion or litigation.
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