mass incarceration

07.05.18

“How Did We Get Here?” An Historical Reconciliation

By Celina Coming

To usher in the summer of 2018, the state of Ohio distinguished itself in vigorously enforcing the Trump Administration’s “zero tolerance” immigration policy, and the detention of families. In the first week of June, 114 people were captured at Corso’s Flower and Gardening Center in Sandusky.

03.19.18

We’re Seeing Growing Support for Bail Reform in Cuyahoga County

By Celina Coming

This morning the ACLU of Ohio delivered hundreds of petitions to Judge John J. Russo from residents in Northeast Ohio who support expedited bail reform policies in Cuyahoga County. The petition delivery followed the release of a report from the Cuyahoga County task force on bail, which was released on Friday, March 16.

02.22.18

What is a Mayor’s Court?

By Celina Coming

A mayor’s court is a local-level court that hears cases about traffic violations, minor misdemeanors, and other offenses that cannot result in jail time, and they only operate in Ohio and Louisiana. In Ohio, someone does not have to be a judge, or even have a law degree, to hear cases in mayor’s courts.

02.05.18

Cleveland’s Youth Deserve Justice; Systemic Failures of the Cuyahoga Juvenile Detention Center

By Celina Coming

In September of 2017, Cleveland.com released shocking surveillance footage of officers at Cuyahoga County’s Juvenile Detention Center standing guard as teenagers fought each other. Grainy footage shows a gray industrial common area, adorned in concrete and linoleum, as a burly detention officer enters with two young men.

12.12.17

A Brief History of Cash Bail

By Celina Coming

When you think of the term “bail” do you tend to visualize bond agents, bounty hunters, and flashing neon signs with names like ABC Bonds, A-1 Bonds, EZ Bonds? That’s what we thought.

The reason you likely think this way is because that’s what you’ve been taught to think by what you’ve seen or heard about the American bail process.

11.09.17

Death Penalty: A Poster Child

By Celina Coming

Alva E. Campbell Jr. is scheduled to be executed at 10 a.m. on November 15th at the Southern Ohio Correctional Facility in Lucasville, OH. It will be the third execution this year in Ohio, following a moratorium on the death penalty after a severely botched execution took place in 2014.

10.23.17

State Issue 1 – Frequently Asked Questions

By Celina Coming

What is State Issue 1?

Also known as Marsy’s Law or the Ohio Crime Victim Bill of Rights (OCVBR), it would amend Article I, Section 10a of the Ohio Constitution to establish enforceable victim rights within the Ohio Constitution. Voters will decide this issue at the November 7, 2017 election.

10.19.17

Rethinking the Concept of “Failure to Appear”

By Celina Coming

Historically, a judge set bail based on a single consideration: whether a person would reappear in court to answer for the alleged crime. It wasn’t until later in the 20^th century that nationwide reforms allowed judges to consider public safety as a reason to deny bail.

10.05.17

Ten Things You Need to Know about Jamil Smith

By Dan Rogan

10.03.17

International Reactions to Ava DuVernay’s Documentary, 13th

By Celina Coming

Our two international interns from Humanity In Action, Julie Vainqueur and Lukasz Niparko, articulate their responses to Ava DuVernay’s powerful documentary, 13^th.

Julie Vainqueur, writing from a French, Afrocaribbean perspective.

I want to communicate about issues that matter, to listen to the unheard, amplify their voices, and to educate others about the social injustices of the world.

06.26.17

Bail Reform Key to Solving Jail Overcrowding

By James Kosmatka

“On Wednesday, June 14^th, Sheriff Jim Neil declared a state of emergency at the Hamilton County Justice Center due to jail overcrowding. The ACLU of Ohio has taken bail reform head on, and it is rapidly becoming one of our main criminal justice focus areas.

06.02.17

It’s On Us: Declaring and Defending Sanctuary Cities

By James Kosmatka

Over the past several months, sanctuary cities have been under increased scrutiny by federal officials. We can’t allow this.

Why Sanctuary Cities?

Sanctuary cities have adopted social, economic and political policies to protect the constitutional rights of all their residents, particularly those who are undocumented.

04.12.17

Ohio City Says “Yes” to Arrests, “No” to Stopping Overdose Deaths

By James Kosmatka

The only good thing about Washington Court House arresting naloxone-revived opioid users is that it shows everything wrong with criminal justice today. Since February, this town nestled between Columbus and Cincinnati has been charging overdose victims with “Inducing Panic” after emergency responders revive them.

03.28.17

Ohio (and the Nation) Should Cut Ties with Prisons for Profit

By James Kosmatka

The ACLU of Ohio has been fighting “prisons for profit” for years. The trend to privatize prisons as a method to reduce costs has been ineffective, and only contributes to the surging rates of mass incarceration, with Ohio prisons at 130% of capacity.

03.02.17

Statehouse-to-Prison Pipeline 2017

By James Kosmatka

Gary Daniels, chief lobbyist for the ACLU of Ohio, is a realistic optimist—a valuable trait for the rare dissenting voice against mass incarceration in the Ohio Statehouse.

Our powerful new report, Statehouse to Prison Pipeline 2017, sprang from Gary’s everyday experience listening to legislators, police and prosecutors as they earnestly justify destructive policies: sending more people to prison, for more reasons, for longer periods.

12.16.16

Truth in Sentencing

By James Kosmatka

Sentenced to ten years, out in two. Outrageous!

And false.

The myth that prisoners serve small fractions of sentences is one of the most destructive falsehoods driving the tragedy of mass incarceration. In Ohio and elsewhere, the use of parole and probation has shrunk to levels that can only be described as harmful to us all.

12.13.16

America’s Slave Laws

By James Kosmatka

After bringing the legendary Selma marches to the big screen, Ava Duvernay returns with a new Netflix documentary, 13^th, telling the true story behind the 13^th amendment. Passed in 1865, it declared that “Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, nor any place subject to their jurisdiction.” The amendment was one of the most important in history, yet its wording enabled slavery to evolve in America, allowing discrimination against African Americans to continue within our justice system.

11.21.16

It’s Time for DHS to Cut Ties with For-Profit Prisons

By Jeff Miller

Following the release of a report that showed how dangerous and mismanaged private prisons are, the Department of Justice announced that the Bureau of Prisons would stop using them for federal prisoners. This was a big step in the right direction and celebrated by advocates who have diligently worked against prison privatization.

08.23.16

The DOJ Is Ending Its Use of Private Prisons: But What About Ohio?

By Steve David

Last week, the Department of Justice announced an end to using private prisons to hold federal prisoners. This decision followed a scathing report which highlighted that private prisons are less safe, provide less services and programs, and do not substantially save on costs.

07.08.16

Locked Down, Locked Away: What’s It Like Being Released from Solitary Confinement?

By Adrienne Gavula

Mr. Kenyatta is a prisoner rights activist and businessman who was released from prison 13 years ago. He spent time in solitary confinement at both of Ohio’s maximum-security prisons and was part of the ACLU lawsuit, Austin v Wilkinson, which drastically changed prisoner classification in Ohio to ensure more humane living conditions.

06.08.16

A Family Surviving Solitary Confinement

By Adrienne Gavula

This post is part of the joint report between Disability Rights Ohio and the ACLU of Ohio – “Shining a Light on Solitary Confinement: Why Ohio Needs Reform.” Take action to reform solitary confinement in Ohio.

Justin committed a crime. He was found guilty of aggravated murder and robbery, along with two others.

03.18.16

“No one believes a Felon”

By Shakyra Diaz

I recently conducted a training for a group of incarcerated women which outlined what to do if you’re stopped by the police.  As we discussed how to file a complaint if treated unfairly by an officer, one woman declared, “No one believes a felon.”

The other women in the room nodded their heads in affirmation. 

02.16.16

Treat heroin with heroin, as Swiss have done

By Mike Uth

Beginning in the 1970’s, Switzerland faced a surge in heroin abuse much like the one we are seeing now in Ohio. Then, as now, the surge devastated families and communities, and was accompanied by increased crime, homelessness, overdose deaths and increased rates of HIV infection.

02.03.16

“Prison for Profit” ACLU of Ohio Documentary Wins 2nd Award

By Steve David

The ACLU of Ohio’s groundbreaking film “Prisons for Profit” has been recognized as one of the top documentaries in 2015 by an international audience.

Most recently, the film has been selected as the Silver Award Winner in the 2015 Spotlight Documentary Film Awards.

11.09.15

Pay-to-Stay Jail Fees: The Newest Way People Are Profiting Off Mass Incarceration

By Mike Brickner

It is already incredibly difficult for people leaving prison and jail to succeed on the outside. They must contend with criminal records that follow them at every turn. It prevents them from getting certain jobs, or even living in certain apartment buildings.

11.06.15

A Call for Justice: Piper Kerman at the 2015 Ed Likover Memorial Lecture

By Dan Rogan

“We must talk seriously about criminal justice reform because of how close it is connected to racial justice,” said Piper Kerman, discussing the intrinsic relationship between the two issues. Piper’s words struck a chord over 300 attendees at this year’s Ed Likover Memorial Lecture.

10.27.15

A Fresh Start to Save Thousands of Ohioans’ Futures

By Shakyra Diaz

A criminal conviction damages a person’s present life and future prospects. From employment to housing, higher education enrollment and student loans, a criminal conviction creates so many barriers to opportunities. Given those startling facts, we can agree that a state prison system operating at 130 percent capacity is unhealthy for those incarcerated and for the state that put them there.

07.14.15

A Day in Drug Court

By Shakyra Diaz

Several weeks ago, I had the opportunity to visit the Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Drug Court with fellow ACLU intern, Kyra Schoonover. It certainly was an eye-opening experience for both of us.

How It Works

Before the proceedings began, we met with the judge.

07.06.15

My Interview With a Corrections Officer

By Adrienne Gavula

Often, when we as a society talk about reforming our criminal justice system, it’s about finding jobs for individuals released from prison or diverting them to treatment in the first place. Rarely do we focus on the conditions of incarceration and its impact on people once they’re released.

06.30.15

Summer Break at the Statehouse: A Review of the First Six Months

By Lisa Wurm

The Ohio General Assembly has now passed the state budget, and the first quarter of the two-year legislative session is over. As always, the ACLU of Ohio has been very active at the Statehouse in what was a very busy first six months.