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Founded in 1920, the ACLU is a non-profit, non-partisan membership organization with affiliates in all 50 states dedicated to defending and expanding the civil liberties of all Americans. The following community forums were hosted by the ACLU of Ohio, and are offered here as a public service for those interested in learning more about individual rights. Programs feature community leaders, scholars, and activists sharing their expertise and unique perspectives in specific areas of civil liberties. To listen to our audio podcasts, click here. 02.17.12Democracy Now! - Florida Lawmakers Defeat Prison Privatization amid National Push for For-Profit JailsMike Brickner, Director of Communications & Public Policy for the ACLU of Ohio, talks about private prisons with Amy Goodman and Juan González of Democracy Now!
Watch the video from Democracy Now! here. Download a copy of Prisons for Profit: A Look at Prison Privatization.  
10.02.11Justice Voters: The 2011 Ed Likover Memorial Lecture - ClevelandIs it possible to get a fair trial in Ohio? It depends. Currently, guilt or innocence may not factor as heavily in sentencing as the defendant’s socioeconomic status, the prosecutor, or the judge. Join Tim Young, director, Office of the Ohio Public Defender, for a discussion of how we can help build a better criminal justice system.
08.10.11Who’s Knocking? Gaining Access to Subsidised Housing - ClevelandHit hard by the foreclosure crisis, unemployment crisis and a large reentry population, many Clevelanders are facing a housing crisis. Unfortunately, individuals searching for low-income housing in the U.S. face barriers that too often prove insurmountable. Join Maria Smith, Housing Unit supervising attorney, Legal Aid Society of Cleveland, to examine barriers to subsidized housing and the progress being made to give individuals more access. This is the fifth and final presentation in the 2011 Brown Bag Lecture Series. View the entire series here.
07.27.11Zero Tolerance = Zero Education - ClevelandAcross the country, schools are increasingly sending students into the juvenile justice system for misbehavior that used to be handled by school administrators. Join Dr. Morris Jenkins, chair of the Department of Criminal Justice and Social Work at the University of Toledo, for a discussion of the “school to prison pipeline”, the national trend to funnel students out of public schools and into the juvenile and criminal justice systems. This is the third presentation in the 2011 Brown Bag Lecture Series. View the entire series here.
07.13.11Justice For Some: Institutional Barriers to Defense - ClevelandIn theory, our justice system is designed to ensure a fair trial for every defendant. In practice, there are two justice systems in Ohio: one for the wealthy and one for those who are not. Merely having a limited income should not result in jail time, more serious convictions, or increased sentences. Join Tim Young, director, Office of the Ohio Public Defender, to examine Ohio’s indigent defense system and the barriers the financially disadvantaged encounter. This is the first presentation in the 2011 Brown Bag Lecture Series. View the entire series here.
Click here to view the corresponding PowerPoint slideshow.  Justice For Some: Institutional Barriers to Defense: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download Justice For Some: Institutional Barriers to Defense: Download
05.18.11Freedom Tour - Prisons for Profit: A Discussion of Prison Privatization - CambridgeJoin People for Effective & Safe Prisons for a panel discussion of prison privatization.
05.17.11Freedom Tour - Prisons for Profit: A Look at Prison Privatization - ChillicotheJoin People for Effective & Safe Prisons for a panel discussion of prison privatization. State legislators are considering a proposal to privatize and sell up to six Ohio prisons. While private prison operators promise states cost savings, various studies have called into question whether privatization saves any money at all. In addition, research has shown private prisons have higher incidences of assault, resist transparency and accountability, increase recidivism, and avoid paying taxes to local communities.
04.14.11Prisons for Profit: A Look at Prison Privatization - ColumbusSeveral studies have shown that prison privatization yields little or no cost savings to the state. Pennsylvania, Arizona, and Texas have all encountered serious cost and public safety problems after privatizing their prison systems. Join the ACLU of Ohio for a press conference introducing their new report, Prisons for Profit: A Look at Prison Privatization, outlining Ohio’s troubled history with private prisons.
09.30.10Books Behind Bars: Banned Brilliance of African American Authors - ColumbusJoin us for Banned Brilliance of African American Authors. American society ignores the incarceration system, refusing to acknowledge, confront or address problems that lead to the disproportional representation of African Americans in prisons. We are so reluctant to address incarceration issues that we ban books that talk about race and incarceration, particularly those written by African Americans, from library shelves, bookstores and classrooms. The ACLU of Ohio, the King Arts Complex, and the OSU Department of African American and African Studies Community Extension Center will reveal the cracks in the criminal justice system with Books Behind Bars: Banned Brilliance of African American Authors. This program weaves together facts about Ohio’s justice system with readings from banned literary works which discuss incarceration.
09.29.10Books Behind Bars: Banned Brilliance of African American Authors - ClevelandAmerican society ignores the incarceration system. We refuse to acknowledge the problems in the system that lead to the disproportional representation of African Americans in prisons, refuse to do anything to change that system, and even refuse to have books that talk about race and incarceration written by African Americans on library shelves, bookstores and classrooms. Join the ACLU of Ohio and Karamu House for selected readings from banned and challenged works that provide cultural commentary on incarceration. Readers include:
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08.17.10Press Conference: Reform Cannot Wait - ColumbusOn August 17, 2010, the ACLU of Ohio released a new report entitled “Reform Cannot Wait: A Comprehensive Examination of the Cost of Incarceration in Ohio from 1991-2010“. The report reveals that our criminal justice system is riddled with inefficient policies that increase cost, reduce safety, and contribute to racial disparities. State Senator Bill Seitz (R-Cincinnati) and Senator Nina Turner (D-Cleveland) joined the ACLU of Ohio at a press conference announcing the release of the “Reform Cannot Wait” report.
08.04.10Black Power, Black Vote: An exploration of the Black Panther Party - ClevelandHear how student organizers from the Student Non-violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) helped to incorporate the fight for civil rights into the Black Power movement, changing the face of America for generations to come. Join Hasan Kwame Jeffries, assistant professor of history at The Ohio State University and the Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnicity, will discuss the evolution of the civil rights movement and activism today. This is the sixth in the 2010 Brown Bag Lecture Series. View the entire series here. Prof. Jeffries’ new book, Bloody Lowndes: Civil Rights and Black Power in Alabama’s Black Belt, will be for sale at the event.
07.07.10Homeless, Not Hopeless - ClevelandFar too often municipalities enact unconstitutional ordinances that criminalize homeless people and restrict their access to public space. Join us for a discussion of the homeless community’s fight for equality with Brian Davis, executive director of the Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless and advocate for the estimated 26,000 homeless in the Cleveland area. This is the second in the 2010 Brown Bag Lecture Series. View the entire series here.
06.29.10Playground to Prison: Juvenile Justice in Ohio - ColumbusJoin us for a discussion with Yvonne C. Hunnicutt, director of operations of Voices for Ohio’s Children, as we explore the trends toward the criminalization of young people. Hunnicutt will discuss contemporary issues in juvenile justice reform, such as racial disparities in arrests and sentencing and current legislation that will help provide rehabilitation – rather than just incarceration – for our young people.
06.24.10The New Jim Crow - ClevelandJoin director the of Cleveland State University’s Black Studies Program, Dr. Michael Williams, ACLU of Ohio legal director James Hardiman, and ACLU of Ohio education director Shakyra Diaz in a program that will examine how the laws and policies of the last 30 years have resulted in extreme racial disparity in our justice system. As the director of the Black Studies Program, Dr. Michael Williams is tasked with ensuring that the Cleveland State University community and the Greater Cleveland community with opportunities to acquire a greater knowledge and appreciation of the history, life and all aspects of the arts, culture and experiences of peoples of African descent through educational programming, Images radio show, and the Howard A. Mims Cultural Center.
06.23.10Life Sentence: Obstacles faced by formerly incarcerated people - ClevelandJoin Charles See, director of Community Re-Entry, Inc., for a look at the obstacles that prevent formerly incarcerated people from transitioning back to society. This is the first in the 2010 Brown Bag Lecture Series. View the entire series here.
05.20.10Criminalizing Kids: The Need for Juvenile Justive Reform - ToledoOhio detains and incarcerates a greater percentage of our adolescent population than more than two-thirds of states. Join Toledo area civil libertarians for a look at the issues affecting Ohio’s youth and endeavors underway to change the system. This presentation was part of the 2010 Northwest Chapter of the ACLU of Ohio Annual Dinner honoring Dr. Trudy Bond, psychologist and political activist, and features advocate and juvenile justice expert C. Antoinette Clarke, professor of law, Claude W. Pettit College of Law, Ohio Northern University.
05.19.10The Call for Freedom - Peace and the Struggle for Liberation - DaytonJoin us for a discussion about people’s movements for freedom – both historical and modern day – in three countries. Experts in their field will highlight a wide range of issues, including the struggles against the Apartheid regime in South Africa, the movement for human security in Brazil, and the push to create a more equitable justice system in the US. Panelists include Pablo Banhos, whose thesis contrasts authoritarian and democratic regimes in Brazil; Shakyra Diaz, ACLU of Ohio education director; Dr. Joyce Dunbar, visiting scholar at Central State University.
04.27.10An End to Lock ‘Em Up Politics: Reforming the Criminal Justice System in Ohio - ColumbusPanelists discuss current efforts for legislative reform that will reduce the costs of prisons while encouraging rehabilitation of offenders. Panelists include Stephen JohnsonGrove, Ohio Justice and Policy Center staff attorney; Mark Godsey, faculty director of the University of Cincinnati College of Law Ohio Innocence Project; Gary Daniels, associate director of the ACLU of Ohio.
04.22.10Cost of Incarceration: Reforming Ohio’s Criminal Justice System‘Tough on Crime’ policies have overburdened our state budget and resulted in unnecessary prison over-crowding. Ohio prisons are designed to house 38,665 people but are currently housing near 51,000. Panelists for this discussion include Terry Collins, former director of the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections; Shakyra Diaz, education director for the ACLU of Ohio, and Edward Little, criminal justice consultant.
12.03.09An End to Lock ‘Em Up Politics: Reforming the Criminal Justice System in Ohio - DaytonACLU of Ohio Executive Director Christine Link discusses criminal justice reform at the Downtown Dayton Metro Library Auditorium.
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11.04.09An End to Lock ‘Em Up Politics: Reforming the Criminal Justice System in Ohio - CincinnatiFor decades, Ohio politicians sought to be “tough on crime,” rather than smart on crime. They continually increased criminal penalties, regardless of their ineffectiveness at improving public safety or reducing recidivism. Because of these policies, prisons designed to house 38,000 people now hold over 52,000. Meanwhile, the resulting expenses strain state and county budgets – without making us safer. Panelists David Singleton, Mark Godsey, and Gary Daniels discuss current efforts for legislative reform that will reduce the costs of prisons while encouraging rehabilitation of offenders. This event, held that the Cincinnati Urban League, was co-sponsored by the ACLU of Ohio, the Ohio Innocence Project, and the Ohio Justice and Policy Center.
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07.29.09Prison Bound: A Review of the School to Prison PipelinePaul Hill, president and CEO of East End Neighborhood Center, discusses the policies and practices that funnel youth out of classrooms and into the juvenile and criminal justice systems. This event is the fifth in the 2009 Brown Bag Lecture Series. More information about the 2009 series can be found here. .
08.06.08Selective Enforcement: A Justice System Out of BalanceTerry Gilbert, attorney at law, who has litigated numerous civil rights cases, shares perspectives on discretionary policies within the criminal justice system. This event is part of the 2008 Brown Bag Lecture Series. .
02.12.08The Death Penalty: Fair & Just or Cruel & UnusualA rousing, intelligent discussion about the death penalty as Jeff Gamso, ACLU of Ohio Legal Director, goes head-to-head with J. Christopher Anderson, Deputy Chief for the Lucas County Prosecutor’s Criminal Division. .
01.08.08Gang Ties: The Untold TruthsA panel of experts discuss effective safety strategies to stem youth violence. They also discuss a a 2007 Justice Policy Institute Report titled Gang Wars. Michael Ruff, E CITY’s new Director of Growth & Program Expansion, is determined to make E CITY a household word. Most recently he worked on behalf of Cuyahoga Community College’s Metro Campus, speaking to Cleveland high school students about the importance and accessibility of a college education. Judith Greene is a criminal justice policy analyst and a founding partner in Justice Strategies. She is currently a research consultant for the Brennan Center for Justice, the Drug Policy Alliance, and the Mississippi ACLU. .
07.11.07School to Prison Pipeline: The ABC's of the Prison SuperhighwayDennis Parker, director, National ACLU Racial Justice Program, discusses the increasing flow of youth from schools to prison. This talk is part of the 2007 Brown Bag Lecture Series.
05.17.07Dope Game Conspiracy: The Incarceration of African American and Latino MalesThis event is the third in the series Incarceration Nation: Examining the Impact of the War on Drugs, and features panelists Veronica Dahlberg, Dr. Ronnie Dunn, Bakari Kitwana, and Felix Muniz.
03.27.07Broken Justice: A Look Inside Ohio’s Death Penalty SystemACLU of Ohio Legal Director and death penalty expert Jeff Gamso teams with Gary Beeman, an inmate who was exonerated from death row, and Kelly Culshaw, an attorney with the Ohio Public Defender’s Office, in examining the death penalty in Ohio.
03.08.07Collateral Damage: Girlfriends, Grandmothers and Mandatory Minimum SentencesThis event is the first in the series Incarceration Nation: Examining the Impact of the War on Drugs, and features panelists Brenda Aldana, Judge Ronald Adrine, and Charlotte Rerko.
ACLU of OHIO : Max Wohl Civil Liberties Center : 4506 Chester Avenue : Cleveland, OH 44103 P (216) 472-2200 F (216) 472-2210 E contact@acluohio.org
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