- Law Enforcement Transparency and Accountability
The ACLU-MS works to establish systems for law enforcement transparency and accountability that enable citizens to know if officers are abusing their power and, if so, how to reform police practices and department policies. (Further resources)
- Prison Reform
Even in jails and prisons, citizens have constitutionally protected rights. The ACLU of Mississippi has earned a national reputation for reforming prison conditions so that these rights are better protected. (Further resources)
- 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. (Further resources)
- 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.