American Civil Liberties Union

Rights of the Poor:
Poor people are one of the least powerful groups in the U.S. and their civil liberties are therefore always in a precarious state. The ACLU has defended the rights of the poor against government arbitrariness and abuse through litigation, lobbying and public education.



Freedom Files - Season 2
Ideological Exclusion

ACLU NewsfeedsACLU News Feed
ACLU Blog
ACLU Podcasts

Rights of the Poor : General : Press Releases view all

ACLU Releases Crack Cocaine Report, Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1986 Deepened Racial Inequity in Sentencing (10/26/2006)
WASHINGTON – To mark the 20th anniversary of the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1986, the American Civil Liberties Union today issued the report, “Cracks in the System: Twenty Years of the Unjust Federal Crack Cocaine Law.” The report details discriminatory effects of the drug law that devastated African American and low-income communities.

On Anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, ACLU Sees America's Reputation as Human Rights Leader Diminished (08/29/2006)

U.N. Human Rights Body Slams Louisiana Actions During Katrina (07/28/2006)
NEW ORLEANS — A United Nations human rights body today criticized Louisiana officials for their actions during Hurricane Katrina, including a police blockade on Gretna New Orleans Bridge, which left thousands of mostly black residents trapped in the city, and the failure to evacuate prisoners from the flooded Orleans Parish Prison. The American Civil Liberties Union of Louisiana, which has long called for investigations into the conditions at the prison and on the bridge, welcomed the report and its recommendations.

ACLU Urges New Orleans City Council to Review Conditions at Prison (12/08/2005)
In response to reports that hundreds of prisoners have returned to Orleans Parish Prison, the American Civil Liberties Union of Louisiana today urged the City Council to conduct a full and thorough review of the conditions within the facility. In letters to each council member, the ACLU expressed concern that Sheriff Marlin N. Gusman re-opened the prison despite the lack of adequate evacuation plans or medical staff and equipment.

Sheriff Illegally Withholding Records on Orleans Parish Prison, ACLU Lawsuit Charges (11/10/2005)
BATON ROUGE, LA--The American Civil Liberties Union of Louisiana today filed a lawsuit charging that Orleans Parish Prison officials are violating state law by refusing to turn over public records that would shine light on why prisoners were abandoned when Hurricane Katrina struck.

Rights of the Poor : General : Legal Documents view all

Letter Regarding the Re-Opening of the Orleans Parish Prison (10/21/2005)
The city-owned Orleans Parish Prison (OPP) was engulfed by Hurricane Katrina, abandoned by correctional staff, and then haphazardly evacuated in the five days after the storm struck. Since the evacuation, the 6500 prisoners previously confined at OPP have been housed in a number of other prisons and makeshift shelters. However, at least some of these prisoners may soon be returning to OPP.

Settlement in Sager, et al v. Pittsburgh (05/13/2003)

Memo in Support of Motion for Injunction in Sager, et al v. City of Pittsburgh (05/05/2003)

Motion for Injunction in Sager, et al v. City of Pittsburgh (05/05/2003)

Complaint in Sager, et al v. City of Pittsburgh (05/05/2003)

Rights of the Poor : General : Legislative Documents view all

Sign On Letter to House of Representatives Urging Members to Vote Against the Class Action Fairness Act (02/23/2005)

Coalition Sign-On Letter Urging Exemption of Civil Rights and Wage Hour Cases from S. 5, the Class Action Fairness Act (02/02/2005)

ACLU Letter to the House Urging Support for H.R. 2282, the Equal Access to Justice Reform Act (03/11/2004)

Coalition Letter to the Senate Urging Opposition to S. 274, the Class Action Fairness Act in order to Protect the Rights of Victims of Discrimination, Consumer Fraud and Toxic Pollution (01/26/2004)

ACLU Letter to the House Urging Support for H.R. 1155, the Civil Rights Tax Relief Act (12/15/2003)

Rights of the Poor : General : Resources

Summaries of 400 Testimonials From Inmates Incarcerated at Orleans Parish Prison During Hurricane Katrina (01/11/2006)
This document contains summaries of 400 testimonials obtained since mid-October 2005 from inmates who were incarcerated at Orleans Parish Prison during Hurricane Katrina. The ACLU National Prison Project has received more than 1,000 testimonials to date.

Anthony D. Romero on Civil Liberties in the Wake of Katrina (09/24/2005)

Rights of the Poor : General : Fact Sheets

Testimonials of Six Inmates Incarcerated at New Orleans Old Parish Prison during Hurricane Katrina (11/18/2005)
Testimonials of Six Inmates Incarcerated at New Orleans Old Parish Prison during Hurricane Katrina

Click to show/hide issues list
Your Local ACLUcongressional scorecardmultimediaforumspublicationssupport usstorecontact