ACLU Prison Project

1. ACLU Prison Project Minority incarceration & Prison Privatization Brian, Brady, Devon, Demetre

2. American Civil Liberties Union (ALCU) Racial Justice Fair Sentencing • 1920 – Freedom of Speech • 1929 –Prohibition & Lawlessness in Law Enforcement • 2010 Fair Sentencing Act • 1954 Brown vs. Board of Education • Racial Justice Project • School to Prison Pipeline

3. Prisons – Minorities - Profits Why this matters According to ACLU: Incarceration Rates: 30/1000 Blacks 12/1000 Latinos 4/1000 Whites As incarceration rates skyrocket, the private prison industry expands at exponential rates, holding ever more people in its prisons and jails, and generating massive profits.

4. Politics of Intersectionality • The relationship between minority groups and mass incarcerations • Definite intersection of race and justice • The conviction rates clearly show a disparity between different races • 30/1000 Blacks • 12/1000 Latinos • 4/1000 Whites • There are unfair sentences based on race • Racially charged trials are publically displayed

5. Politics of Intersectionality Cont. • The relationship between privatization of the prison system and the targeting of minority groups • This ensures financial growth of the privatized system. • Intersection of Race, Justice, and Social Class • Minority groups face racial profiling and higher arrest rates • Lower income neighborhoods are targeted for criminal activity

6. What ACLU Is Doing Today • The ACLU works to extend rights to segments of our population that have traditionally been denied their rights, including people of color; women; lesbians, gay men, bisexuals and transgender people; prisoners; and people with disabilities. • The ACLU National Prison Project works to end unconstitutionally broad policies that unnecessarily restrict the constitutional rights of prisoners, such as censorship policies that ban many reading materials. Restricting prisoners’ core constitutional rights can have a negative impact on their ability to successfully transition back into the community. • The ACLU National Prison Project works to ensure that conditions of confinement are constitutional and consistent with health, safety, and human dignity. Their goals include substantially reducing the existing incarcerated population, especially among people of color, the mentally ill, and other vulnerable populations; ending cruel, inhuman, and degrading conditions of confinement; increasing public accountability and transparency of jails, prisons, and other places of detention; and expanding prisoners’ freedom of religion, expression, and association. • Over the past four decades, imprisonment in the United States has increased explosively, spurred by criminal laws that put more people in prison for longer sentences. At the same time, the nation has seen the rise of for-profit prison companies, which benefit from keeping more people locked up.

7. Members and Allies • Almost 900,000 people are taking action with ACLU to protect the rights of the people and it is as easy as joining online at ACLU.org • Nearly 500,000 members with 200 attorneys and 1,000+ volunteer attorneys help ACLU protect the peoples rights

8. Resolving Issues • The ACLU is our nation's guardian of liberty, working daily in courts, legislatures and communities to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties that the Constitution and laws of the United States guarantee everyone in this country. • They organized the “racial justice project” which fights for minority groups to receive fair trials • They organized the “safe communities, fair sentences” program which fights against racial profiling of minority groups

9. Conclusion • Very large and old organization which tackles many social injustices • Mainly opposes governmental infringement of rights • Their goal is to protect the liberties of all American citizens • Tackles each controversial issue that arises • This organization will continually grow with the continuance of oppression and privilege