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News & Commentary about Mass Incarceration

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The ACLU works in courts, legislatures, and communities to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties that the Constitution and the laws of the United States guarantee everyone in this country.
Entrance to the Department of Justice Federal Bureau of Prisons in Brooklyn, NY.

Mar 1, 2024

President Biden's Order to Ban Private Prisons Faces a Persistent Internal Challenge: The U.S. Marshals Service

President Biden's Order to Ban Private Prisons Faces a Persistent Internal Challenge: The U.S. Marshals Service
People hold up a banner saying "No Execution by Covid-19."

Mar 13, 2023

Three Years Later, COVID-19 is Still a Threat to People Who Are Incarcerated

Three Years Later, COVID-19 is Still a Threat to People Who Are Incarcerated
A collage of images depicting prison labor.

Jun 15, 2022

Captive Labor: Exploitation of Incarcerated Workers

Captive Labor: Exploitation of Incarcerated Workers
A prisoner holding his extended and clasped hands between the bars of his cell.

Jun 2, 2022

What if Algorithms Worked For Accused People, Instead of Against Them?

What if Algorithms Worked For Accused People, Instead of Against Them?
Side profile of the Supreme Court in Washington, DC

Oct 8, 2021

What the Supreme Court Can and Can't Do About Mass Incarceration in the Current Term

What the Supreme Court Can and Can't Do About Mass Incarceration in the Current Term
Clean lawn and tidy oak trees in front of an apartment complex

Jul 14, 2021

How America Disguised 65,000 Prison Beds

How America Disguised 65,000 Prison Beds
Nalya Rodriguez of the Youth Justice Coalition in Los Angeles

Mar 10, 2021

Meet the Activists Fighting to Free People from LA Jails

Meet the Activists Fighting to Free People from LA Jails
Hendrey Boykins in Phoenix, Arizona.

Feb 5, 2021

What It’s Like to Face a Deadly Pandemic Behind Bars

What It’s Like to Face a Deadly Pandemic Behind Bars
A somber black and white still featuring Sibil "Fox" Richardson from director Garrett Bradley's documentary, "Time."

Feb 5, 2021

Filmmaker Garrett Bradley on Time in the Criminal Justice System

Filmmaker Garrett Bradley on Time in the Criminal Justice System
Syringes with doses of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine on a surgical tray.

Dec 24, 2020

Incarcerated People Should Get Priority Access to the COVID-19 Vaccine. It's the Smart and Humane Thing to Do.

Incarcerated People Should Get Priority Access to the COVID-19 Vaccine. It's the Smart and Humane Thing to Do.