Blog Posts Archive - Page 13 of 20 - ACLU of Ohio

  • 03.23.15

    The Making of “Prisons For Profit”: A Raw Deal

    Prison fence

    Ralph Mackey knows what he would do to make money in politics.

    “If I were a politician,” he said, “I’d be pushing private prisons.”

    Despite this statement, Mackey is no advocate for prison privatization. He knows far too much about what happened when Lake Erie Correctional Institute (LaECI) was sold to Corrections Corporation of America.

  • 03.20.15

    Acknowledging Activism for Women’s History Month

    Woman Suffrage Headquarters - Cleveland

    “Remember the ladies.”

    In March of 1776, before the laws of the land were finalized, Abigail Adams wrote to her husband, John Adams, to remind him the Constitution should not limit freedom to men. She cautioned if women were not included, “we are determined to foment a rebellion, and will not hold ourselves bound by any laws in which we have no voice or representation.”

  • 03.18.15

    Want the Feds Knowing You Went to a Gun Show?

    In Ohio alone, there are at least 70 public gun shows every year.

    They are visited by collectors of antique firearms, historians, target shooters and hunting enthusiasts—and are often your neighbors. It’s estimated about one of every three Ohioans owns one or more guns.

  • 03.16.15

    The Making of “Prisons For Profit”: Building Characters

    Prisons For Profit

    One of the first things that Craig Knowles loved about Cleveland was the Cleveland International Film Festival.

    This “hidden gem in the city” as Knowles put it, will premiere his film “Prisons for Profit” during the Ohio Shorts Program 3 on March 26th.

  • 03.13.15

    “Heartbeat Bill” Returns, Along With Our Promise to Sue

    Reproductive Freedom

    Last December, Ohio’s so-called “Heartbeat Bill” ultimately expired when a majority of members in the Ohio House of Representatives voted against it as the legislative session wound down.

    However, Statehouse watchers knew to expect it back some time after the new session started in January.

  • 03.11.15

    Just Trying to Use the Bathroom Here!

    torch with rainbow flame

    You might consider going to the bathroom a subject that doesn’t belong in the blogosphere—something so intimate, private, and none of your business. It’s all of those things.

    However, for the transgender community, the battle for equality often puts the most intimate parts of life under a public microscope.

  • 03.09.15

    The Making of “Prisons For Profit”: One Last Call

    Prisons For Profit

    Paul Reynolds was ready to give up.

    Reynolds was working as a corrections officer at the Lake Erie Correctional Institute when the state of Ohio sold the facility to Corrections Corporation of America (CCA).  It was the first (and only) time a state prison was sold to a private company. 

  • 03.06.15

    Racial Justice and Police Practices: Raising the Issue

    Communities of Color Under Siege

    Are people right to say that if you don’t break the law police won’t bother you? Is it true that if you obey police orders you won’t get hurt?

    Not if you live in Cleveland—or in Ferguson, Missouri, for that matter.

  • 03.04.15

    Police Body Cameras Are Promising, but Need Protections in Place

    Police body cameras
    Photo: West Midlands Police via Flickr Creative Commons

    Every so often, new or updated technology is introduced to law enforcement. The list includes tear gas, pepper spray, stun guns, dashboard cameras, and automatic license plate readers, among other things.

    These tools greatly assist police.

  • 03.02.15

    International Relations, ACLU Style

    Lady Liberty with Sun

    What happens when delegates from various continents are in one room together to talk about democracy?

    Last month we found out.

    In early February, we met with emerging leaders representing Argentina, Botswana, the Republic of Korea, Spain, and Tajikistan as part of a professional exchange program sponsored by the U.S.

  • 02.27.15

    The Reality for Ohio Women Today

    Pregnant Women

    Last week, the ACLU of Ohio reached a settlement in a lawsuit filed on behalf of a single mother, Jennifer Maudlin.

    According to Maudlin, Inside Out, Inc., a Christian-based childcare facility, fired her under an unwritten company policy against non-marital sex after she informed them she was pregnant.

  • 02.25.15

    Recognizing African-American Advocates, Past and Present

    Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, Carl Van Vechten Collection, [reproduction number, e.g., LC-USZ62-54231]
    James Weldon Johnson

    Black History Month is a time to celebrate and reflect on African-Americans who have made great contributions to our country. The ACLU wants to acknowledge the impact of black activists, both past and present, who have made our work stronger.

  • 02.24.15

    American Bar Association Opposes Automatic Shackling of Juveniles in Court

    Handcuffs

    This is the fourth in a series of posts on the topic of juvenile shackling.

    More often than not, progress happens in steps. That was certainly true of the American Bar Association’s (ABA) evolving policy on juvenile justice.

    In 2014, the ABA passed a resolution urging the “development of trauma-informed, evidence-based approaches and practices on behalf of justice system involved children and youth who have been exposed to violence, including child abuse and neglect or other crimes and those subject to delinquency or status offence proceedings.”

  • 02.20.15

    Ohio Votes: Real Versus Imagined Problems

    Jon Husted

    There are those who operate under the theory that if something is said long enough and loud enough it becomes reality.

    The more cynical among us believe it doesn’t matter if the something said is true or not, so long as people believe it is. 

  • 02.18.15

    One Woman, Three Words: “We Shall Overcome”

    Louise Shropshire Collection at the University of Cincinnati
    Louise Shropshire

    “Someday, somebody’s going to do something with my music.” These were the last words uttered by Louise Shropshire, a Cincinnati choir director and composer.

    Somebody did do something with her music. One of her hymns became the anthem of the civil rights movement.

  • 02.16.15

    Why Cops Can’t Get Respect

    Memo to the police nationwide: You say you want respect, but you don’t seem to have even a hint of a clue on how to earn it. Here are some suggestions:

    Show Respect and It Will Be Reciprocated

    This starts with the mayor of your city.

  • 02.14.15

    Undocumented: Safe for Now, But for How Long?

    Justice for Immigrants

    Last November, President Obama announced a package of executive actions that would provide some protection to more than 4 million undocumented immigrants from deportation.

    One of those executive actions expanded Deferred Action of Childhood Arrivals (DACA) for children who entered the United States before the age of 16.

  • 02.11.15

    Could Online Voting Be in Your Future?

    Voting Online

    You know the stories: thousands of people disenfranchised at the polls because of identification issues; workers unable to vote because of limited voting hours; and those long, long lines of voters at the polls during national elections.

    Judging from accounts like these, it is hard to doubt that certain voting laws make access to the polls increasingly difficult for greater numbers of people.

  • 02.09.15

    Extreme Sentence is Essentially Life Without Parole

    Prison Cell Blocks

    Should you spend life in prison for something you did as a teenager?

    That is the question that was put before the Ohio Supreme Court last Wednesday in Moore v. State of Ohio.

    In Mahoning County in 2002, Brandon Moore was tried and convicted as an adult for armed kidnapping, robbery and gang rape.

  • 02.06.15

    I Spoke From the Heart and Lost My Job

    Photo of execution chamber

    “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” 

    Martin Luther King Jr.

    King’s words echo in my ears whenever people state how we should be careful when we write or speak about what we truly believe in.

  • 02.04.15

    No Executions in 2015! Now’s the Time for Real Reform

    Photo of execution chamber

    The end of 2014 was not a good moment in Ohio’s long and sordid history with the death penalty.

    In the final weeks of session, the General Assembly passed House Bill 663 (HB 663), which shrouded executions in unnecessary and dangerous secrecy that could lead to yet another botched execution.

  • 02.02.15

    Seeking the Right Questions On Race and Criminal Justice Reform

    Protesters
    Photograph courtesy of Rachel Woods

    You will never find a solution without asking the right questions.

    Last week, Columbus hosted two different gatherings intended to address tensions between communities of color and law enforcement. While part of the same conversation, both brought different people and different approaches to find solutions.

  • 01.30.15

    The Importance of Saying “Transgender”

    Acknowledgement: acceptance of the truth or existence of something.

    In this year’s State of the Union speech, President Obama acknowledged the inequality many groups face. While announcing protections for the LGBT community, he became the first president to ever say “lesbian,” “bisexual,” and “transgender” in the annual address to the nation.

  • 01.27.15

    An End to Highway Robbery? Not Quite Yet

    The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

  • 01.23.15

    Jailhouse Woes: What’s the Real Solution to Reduce Population?

    It doesn’t take too much imagination to see the heads slowly wagging back and forth at the local coffee shop when they learn the news. I can even see the eye rolls, too.

    No, not from surprise or disbelief, but from the senselessness of it all.

  • 01.21.15

    An Era of Reproductive Freedom, Thanks to Roe v. Wade

    It has been 42 years since the landmark Supreme Court case Roe v. Wade, which ruled that a woman’s decision to have an abortion is protected by the constitution.

    Almost 20 years later, Roe was upheld but modified. Planned Parenthood v.

  • 01.16.15

    Ohio Same-Sex Marriage Heads to the Supreme Court!

    Huge news for same-sex marriage!

    The U.S. Supreme Court has chosen to hear the cases from all four states—Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and Tennessee—in April of this year. This means Ohio has the chance to be a part of history and the ACLU of Ohio is proud to be a part of one of the cases that is taking us there.

  • 01.14.15

    LGBT in O-H-I-O

    Ohio is a great place to be gay—well, almost.

    Despite sleepy rust-belt stereotypes,Ohio has become a center for LGBT life and culture.  People may assume big cities on the coasts are the places to go for inclusive policies and vibrant social scenes, but LGBT and allied communities have claimed space and recognition in the heart of the Midwest.

  • 01.12.15

    Black Lives Matter: Policing, Indifference, and Women of Color

    Protesters
    Photograph courtesy of Rachel Woods

    How much do we as a society value the lives and experiences of black women and girls?

    On November 13, 2014, Tanisha Anderson was experiencing a medical crisis. Her family did what any caring family would do—they called 911 for help.

  • 01.07.15

    Corrections Corporation of America’s Loss is Ohio’s Gain

    What happens when a prison for profit loses one of its main moneymakers?

    We’re about to find out.

    The federal Bureau of Prisons announced last week that they would not renew their contract with Corrections Corporation of America to house prisoners in the Northeast Ohio Corrections Center in Youngstown.