Home : Prisoners' Rights

ACLU Helps Secure Substantial Settlement For Family Of Quadriplegic Left To Die In D.C. Jail (12/02/2008)
WASHINGTON – The American Civil Liberties Union has helped to secure a substantial settlement from District of Columbia officials and Greater Southeast Community Hospital on behalf of the family of a quadriplegic man who died while in custody at the Central Detention Facility.

ACLU Defends Prisoner Punished For Writing A Complaint (11/10/2008)
NEW ORLEANS - The American Civil Liberties Union of Louisiana filed an appeal on behalf of a prisoner given additional time in prison simply for filing a complaint about his confinement. Under both Louisiana and United States law, a prisoner must file a written complaint (called an "ARP grievance") before taking legal action to challenge the conditions of confinement. Last spring prisoner Ernest Billizone submitted a written complaint about his confinement, following guidelines set out by the Louisiana Department of Corrections.

Judge Calls Maricopa County Jail Conditions Unconstitutional (10/22/2008)
PHOENIX - A U.S. district court judge today ruled that the grossly inadequate conditions at the Maricopa County Jail, overseen by Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio, are unconstitutional and jeopardize the health and safety of prisoners.

ACLU Investigation Reveals Grossly Inadequate Conditions On Federal Death Row (10/15/2008)
TERRE HAUTE, IN – Existing conditions on federal death row are grossly inadequate, fail to meet constitutional standards and jeopardize the health and safety of the men who live there, according to an American Civil Liberties Union investigation.

Man Arrested At Home After Katrina Allowed To Proceed With Lawsuit (10/10/2008)
Today the US Fifth Circuit Court of Appeal allowed James Terry to proceed with his lawsuit against Warden Cornel Hubert of Elayn Hunt Correctional Center, for damages resulting from his treatment during and after Hurricane Katrina.

ACLU Calls For Independent Audit Of South Carolina Department Of Corrections (08/26/2008)
CHARLESTON, SC – The American Civil Liberties Union's South Carolina Office today called on state officials to ask the National Institute of Corrections (NIC) to perform an independent audit of the South Carolina Department of Corrections in the face of charges of lax security, inmate abuse and a politicized, hostile work environment. The Legislative Audit Council last week scrapped a plan to survey the department's employees after the department's director charged that the effort was politically motivated.

ACLU In Court Today Challenging Conditions At Maricopa County Jail (08/12/2008)
PHOENIX – The American Civil Liberties Union is in a federal district court beginning today seeking to rebuff an attempt by Maricopa County and its sheriff, Joe Arpaio, to terminate a federal consent decree mandating that he maintain conditions at the Maricopa County Jail that meet constitutional minimums.

Inmates With Disabilities Face Discrimination In Los Angeles County Jails (05/29/2008)
LOS ANGELES –People with disabilities face inhumane treatment and illegal discrimination in the Los Angeles County jail system because it routinely fails to accommodatetheir needs. Today, civil and disability rights attorneysare filing suit in U.S. District Court to stop the mistreatment.

ACLU Welcomes Immigration Detention Medical Treatment Legislation (05/05/2008)
WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union applauds Representative Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) for introducing H.R. 5950, the Detainee Basic Medical Care Act of 2008. This legislation requires the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to develop procedures to ensure adequate medical care for all detainees held by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The legislation also requires ICE to report detainee deaths to the DHS and Department of Justice Offices of Inspector General.

ACLU Lawsuit Against Michigan Department of Corrections Resumes Today (04/28/2008)
KALAMAZOO, MI - The American Civil Liberties Union is arguing today in a Michigan federal court that Michigan Department of Corrections officials must provide necessary mental health care services to newly-admitted and other prisoners.

Prison Litigation Reform Act Must be Fixed, Law denies justice to victims (04/22/2008)
Washington, DC – The House Judiciary’s Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security is scheduled to examine reform of the Prison Litigation Reform Act (PLRA), which was originally passed by Congress in 1996 as a way to stem the tide against what were thought to be frivolous lawsuits by prisoners. Since that time, the law has been used repeatedly to deny justice to victims of rape, assault, religious rights violations and other serious abuses.