News & Commentary

What happens when a prison for profit loses one of its main moneymakers? We’re about to find out. The federal Bureau of Prisons announced last week that they would not renew their contract with Corrections Corporation of America to house prisoners in the Northeast Ohio Corrections Center in Youngstown. The facility houses nearly 1,400 prisoners that will be transferred to other federal prisons. Given CCA’s abysmal track record at the Youngstown facility, it is no wonder that the BOP decided they no longer wanted to be in business with them. When the prison opened in 1997, CCA staffed the prison with officers who had little to no experience in corrections and then populated it with 1,700 high-level prisoners from Washington, D.C. Within the first 14 months, the facility experienced 13 stabbings, two murders and six escapes. Youngstown officials feared so much for the safety of residents that they sued CCA in federal court for failing to abide by its own standards. The judge in the case agreed and ordered CCA to remove 113 of the maximum security prisoners from the facility.

Read our previous blogs on the more recent Ohio protests, "Fallout from Ferguson: Takeaways from Two Ohio Protests," "Black Lives Matter: Marching on Washington," and "Survival Conversations."
The third step is sustaining the energy to demand accountability. If we are not vocal about a particular issue, then the public official does not know we need change. Furthermore, that public official may think we are not paying attention. Accountability must be a two-way street: the public demands and the official reacts.

The start of a New Year is a time for reflection and celebration. Let us do just that—reflect and celebrate—but keeping in mind that 2016 is going to be a big year for Ohio.

Happy New Year!
For more information about protesting peaceably, check out “Protestors: Know Your Rights!” and “What to Do if You're Stopped by the Police.”

» Safeguard the freedom of speech to ensure that our rights are not chilled and individuals can feel empowered to exercise their rights. We stand ready to combat SLAPP (strategic lawsuits against public participation) suits aimed to suppress individuals from speaking out on issues of public concern.
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In defending civil liberties, we have many challenges ahead of us.

Our goals require a strong ACLU that has the resources to defend freedom on all fronts. With your help, we can fulfill our aspirations for 2015 and much more.

For more information, read "Civil Liberties and the Holidays."

The First Amendment also provides a second aspect of religious liberty: that the government may not establish a religion. Courts have come to accept that this means that officials cannot favor one religion over another or favor the right to worship over the right not to worship. What this means in the context of holiday displays is that government officials may not use taxpayer dollars or public land to erect a display that favors a single religion.

This is the part where those pundits start to fume, claiming that nativity scenes, crosses, and other religious displays have been a community tradition for years and that to forbid such a display is a violation of religious liberty.

However, as we are all allowed to post whatever religious symbols we would like on our own private property, how exactly are our religious rights being violated?

One only has to take a short walk through downtown areas in Northeast Ohio and all over the state to see that cities are decorated for the season. Most towns have displays that feature all sorts of holiday characters like Santa Claus an

As the end of the year approaches, what went on in the final days of the 130th Ohio General Assembly? When last I wrote about the Ohio legislature’s “lame duck” session, I provided updates on the so-called Heartbeat Bill and the lethal injection bill. From a civil liberties perspective, these were the two most visible bills but not the only ones. Here is a final update on what the Ohio General Assembly did in the waning days of this session: Heartbeat Bill House Bill 248 made its way to the House floor for a vote. However, this extreme bill, which would outlaw abortions before many women even realize they are pregnant, went down to defeat with 11 Republicans joining in to vote against it. Lethal Injection Secrecy Our members responded in large numbers when we asked them to contact OGA members in opposition to House Bill 663. As it wound its way through the Statehouse, the bill did improve via numerous amendments, but the fundamental problems that caused us to first oppose this legislation remain. HB 663 is now on its way to Gov. John Kasich’s desk for his signature. Following that, we fully expect this matter to end up in the courts. Traffic Cameras Much time was spent this session on traffic/red light cameras. The end result was Senate Bill 342, which requires cities to have police officers at traffic camera locations. This mandate will cause most, if not all, cities to abandon the use of this technology. It passed the House and Senate by wide margins and now awaits Gov. Kasich’s signature. Student Seclusion and Restraints Republicans and Democrats overwhelmingly passed a bill that will improve the lives of vulnerable students. House Bill 178 ensures state regulations regarding student seclusion and restraint practices also apply to charter schools throughout Ohio. Redistricting With redistricting reform comes the hope of a legislature that more accurately represents the population of our state, which in turn, will lead to less extremist lawmaking. For that reason, you should know Ohio legislators passed a proposed constitutional amendment changing the way political districts are drawn in our state. As a result, voters will be asked in 2015 if they want to adopt these rules into the Ohio Constitution. The Ohio House and Senate will begin its next two-year session soon after the new year. As always, we will keep you updated of legislation that may affect your civil liberties.