Prisoners' Rights

Incarceration is perhaps the greatest deprivation of liberty that the government can impose on a person. It is the responsibility of the state to ensure that all people housed in prisons are treated humanely, given proper medical treatment, and are supported through rehabilitative and educational programming to ease re-entry into society once the person is released.

two men dressed in orange prison jumpsuits, behind bars

The ACLU of Ohio works to ensure that our state prisons, jails, and detention centers comply with the Constitution, domestic law, and human rights principles. Incarceration is perhaps the greatest deprivation of liberty that the government can impose on a person; but prisoners retain their rights to other basic protections and freedoms – among these are freedom from cruel and unusual punishment, freedom of religion, the right to legal representation, and the right to due process.

It is the responsibility of the state to ensure that all people housed in prisons are treated humanely, given proper medical treatment, and are supported through rehabilitative and educational programming to ease re-entry into society once the person is released.

The Latest

News & Commentary
ohio statehouse graphic with red podium and microphone

House Bill 487 – Opponent Testimony (written only)

HB 487 perpetuates the failed (and very expensive) belief we can punish and incarcerate our way out of our drug problems. The ACLU of Ohio urges this committee’s rejection of House Bill 487.
News & Commentary
ohio statehouse graphic with red podium and microphone

House Bill 31 – Proponent Testimony

HB 31 would expand Ohio’s public records laws to require recordings of full parole board hearings conducted by the Ohio Parole Board and to allow those recordings and transcriptions to be requested and received by the public.
Resource
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DOUBLE YOUR IMPACT

Thanks to a generous supporter, your donations to the ACLU of Ohio will be matched up to $100,000 through January 15th!
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ACLU of Ohio Voter Impact Fund

The ACLU of Ohio Voter Impact Fund was created to support our critical electoral work to ensure the ACLU of Ohio remains a trusted leader in protecting the rights and civil liberties of all Ohioans.
Court Case
Feb 07, 2023

Coopwood v. County of Wayne (amicus)

The Michigan District Court held that a prisoner’s lack of cognitive capacity to access the grievance process does not make it unavailable, and so it dismissed her PRLA lawsuit for failure to exhaust. The underlying facts are horrific. The issue on appeal is the exhaustion of administrative remedies
Court Case
Nov 15, 2021

Britt v. Hamilton County (amicus)

Court Case
Nov 15, 2021

Hyman v. Lewis (amicus)

Court Case
Jul 28, 2021

Wernert, et al. v. Ohio Parole Board

In 1978 the US Supreme Court found Ohio's death penalty process unconstitutional. Individuals who had previously been sentenced to death were resentenced, often to life with the possibility of parole. The Ohio Parole Board has a practice of denying these people parole, regardless of circumstance.