2016 February

02.26.16

Disability Rights Ohio calls for Enforcement of Ohio Department of Education Rule on Restraint and Seclusion

Danielle Gray

Last year thousands of Ohio students were restrained or secluded in school, placing them at risk of injury and trauma. This happened despite a rule that was put in place specifically to stop this practice.

In 2013, upon the urging of Disability Rights Ohio, the ACLU of Ohio, and other advocates, the Ohio Department of Education (ODE) established a rule limiting the use of restraint and seclusion in Ohio schools to situations where there is an imminent risk of physical harm.

02.19.16

How Do We Know if Police Are Obeying the Law?

Nathan Cindrich

For years, the story has been the same. Its plot involves unnecessary stops, disproportionate responses, and inexcusable use-of-force. People of color in Cleveland, and cities like it across the country, have become intimately familiar with this narrative. Police enforce the law in different ways depending on who they are policing.

02.16.16

Treat heroin with heroin, as Swiss have done

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.

02.12.16

Do White Lives Matter More in Ohio Executions?

Maria Bruno

There are plenty of powerful arguments against the use of the death penalty.  The frequency of wrongful convictions, the massive financial burden on states, and the moral qualms against government-sanctioned murder are a few of the most common.  A study released earlier this year by Frank Baumgartner of University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill illustrates another very good reason for abolishing the death penalty: racial, gender, and location bias.

02.08.16

It’s 2016 and everybody’s watching. Get registered Ohio.

Chris Geggie

Even though our state plays such a huge role in determining the direction of one of the most powerful countries in the world, voters remain disengaged, especially in primary elections. According to data from the Ohio Secretary of State, the average voter turnout in primary elections since 1986 is about 28.55 percent.

02.05.16

Living With HIV Should Not Be A Crime

Nathan Cindrich

If a person living with HIV in Ohio is convicted of a crime, they may automatically receive a harsher sentence just because they have HIV. These punishments are applied without regard to the facts of how HIV can be spread. Even worse, they actively hinder efforts to prevent new infections.

02.03.16

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

Avery Martens

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.