Issues

Improvements in technology, combined with a weakening of our legal protections, have resulted in unprecedented government power.

Federal laws such as the Freedom of Information Act, and state laws like Ohio’s Public Records and Open Meetings acts, were designed to promote citizen involvement and government accountability. Transparency allows for increased public awareness of government functions and actions, a higher level of efficiency and accountability, and a deeper sense of trust between leadership and the community.

Good police practices, thorough training, carefully crafted policies, appropriate allocation of resources, and strong political and professional leadership can ensure public safety and prevent abuses in encounters between police officers and citizens.

The ACLU envisions a free, safe and just society, where civil liberties are secure for all. Throughout our history, we have worked to ensure that constitutional protections are extended to all and that opportunities for education, employment, legal representation, and political participation are not denied on the basis of race.

In the decades since Jane Addams, Crystal Eastman, and Helen Keller worked with other civil libertarians to found the American Civil Liberties Union, the expansion of women’s rights has become a core part of the ACLU’s mission. Women have sought the right to control one’s own body, to have equal educational and economic opportunities, and to fair treatment under the criminal justice system.

Ohio’s General Assembly has a serious mass incarceration problem. Each year, legislators of both parties introduce laws that create new crimes or extend the scope of existing laws and lengthen prison and jail sentences. This is the Statehouse-to-Prison Pipeline.

The ACLU of Ohio strives to protect the civil rights and liberties of students both inside and outside the classroom.

All things voting in the state of Ohio.

The ACLU of Ohio believes all young people have the capacity to change and realize their fullest potential.