2014 May

05.30.14

Ohio’s Children Will Now Be Free From Isolation

Danielle Doza

Children in Ohio’s youth prisons will finally be free from extreme isolation and seclusion. After youths suffered collectively through thousands of hours of being locked in isolation, the Ohio Department of Youth Services has now agreed to “dramatically reduce the conditions under which seclusion is allowed and the duration of seclusion.” Children suffering from mental health disorders were some of the most affected by this practice of seclusion.

05.28.14

Time to Pause

Mike Brickner

As long as the death penalty exists, we have a duty to make sure that it is carried out fairly. Death is the harshest punishment society can dole out, so we must ensure that the right person is convicted, that it is reserved for the worst offenses, and that the execution procedure is transparent and administered in a humane way.

05.23.14

Locked Up, Locked Out: Solitary Confinement in Ohio

Melissa Bilancini

Imagine spending 22 – 24 hours a day in a room the size of a parking space. TVs, radios, and reading materials may or may not be available. Visits from family are strictly limited, if permitted at all. Almost all human contact occurs while in restraints or through a barrier.

05.23.14

Separation Between Church & State Still Exists. Some Seem to Forget.

Danielle Doza

Last week I spoke to a group in Oxford, Ohio — a beautiful town in a rural area of southwest Ohio. I drove through several small towns down winding state routes, including Eaton, Ohio, where I was overwhelmed by the town seal painted on a giant water tower.

05.22.14

Think that’s a cell phone you’re carrying?

Melissa Bilancini

This is the fourth in a series of posts focusing on issues we will be tackling at the 2014 ACLU of Ohio biennial conference, Resist. Reclaim. Restore Your Rights!

It may make calls, but your cell phone is actually a tracking beacon.

05.20.14

How Town of Greece v. Galloway Will (and Won’t) Affect Religious Liberty

Tim Cable

The ACLU works to guarantee that all are free to follow and practice their faith – or no faith at all – without governmental interference.

The U.S. Supreme Court’s May 5 decision in Town of Greece v. Galloway is a disappointing step in the opposite direction – but it by no means signals the unification of church and state.

05.12.14

Children Are Still Not Safe from Seclusion in Ohio Charter Schools

Shakyra Diaz

It has been more than a year since the Ohio State Board of Education (BOE) restricted the use of seclusion and restraint in Ohio public schools, yet charter schools are still permitted to operate outside the rules.

Now, a piece of state legislation aims to hold these schools to the same rules that govern other taxpayer-funded educational institutions.

05.09.14

Missed Opportunities: Using Medicaid Expansion at the Local Level to Reduce Costs and Save Lives

Shakyra Diaz

The Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections (ODRC) is well on its way to ensuring that all who are eligible for Medicaid leave prison with a Medicaid card in hand.  According to ODRC, 90% of the over 50,000 people incarcerated in state prisons are eligible for Medicaid.

05.08.14

Will Reforming the Death Penalty Become as Controversial as the Death Penalty Itself?

Melissa Bilancini

This is the third in a series of posts focusing on issues we will be tackling at the 2014 ACLU of Ohio biennial conference, Resist. Reclaim. Restore Your Rights!

Recently the Ohio Supreme Court Death Penalty Task Force released recommendations for improving Ohio’s oft-criticized death penalty system.

05.02.14

Meet Jack Dawley, 2014 Freedom’s Flame Award Recipient

Melissa Bilancini and Tim Cable

To kick off our 2014 biennial conference, Resist. Reclaim. Restore Your Rights! the ACLU of Ohio is proud to honor Jack Dawley with the 2014 Freedom’s Flame Award.

When Jack contacted us in the summer of 2012, he had reached his lowest point.