Racial Justice
We believe in eliminating racism and in advancing racial justice, and we support and advocate for changes that actively combat racism and work toward a racially just and equitable Connecticut.
Smart Justice
ACLU Smart Justice Connecticut is campaigning to end mass incarceration and eliminate racial disparities in Connecticut's justice system. We are led by an unprecedented cohort of leaders who have ourselves been directly impacted by Connecticut's justice system.
Criminal Legal System
We address the front end – policing and prosecutors – and back end – the carceral system and its collateral consequences – of the criminal legal system.
Policing
Connecticut, like the rest of the country, must reduce the role, responsibilities, and presence of police, especially in Black and Latinx communities. This means, at minimum, diverting funds from policing to instead build safe and healthy communities.
Voting Rights
The right to vote is a cornerstone of our democracy. The ACLU of Connecticut has worked to ensure that all citizens may vote in Connecticut without intimidation, coercion, or unnecessary barriers.
Free Speech
The ACLU of Connecticut protects the five freedoms of the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution — freedom of speech, assembly, association, petition and the press — but we’re called on most often to defend speech.
Immigrants' Rights
Immigrants to the United States are frequently targets of discrimination, and undocumented immigrants are particularly susceptible to abuse by the government.
Privacy
Too often, our state's privacy laws have failed to keep up with new technologies. Our telephone service providers can tell the government what numbers we call, security cameras track our movements, and police scan our license plates.
LGBTQ+ Rights
We envision a world in which all LGBTQ+ people can live openly, freely, and fully.
Women's Rights
Through litigation, advocacy, and public education, we push for a world where women are able to live equally and fully in society.
Youth and Student Rights
The constitutional rights of young people are frequently at risk.
Freedom of Religion
The freedom to practice or not practice religion without interference or coercion from the government is a fundamental guarantee of the U.S. and Connecticut constitutions.
Open Government
Transparency in government is essential to our democracy. The ACLU of Connecticut has worked to uphold this principle by opposing efforts to undermine Connecticut's Freedom of Information law and demanding government documents to contribute to public discourse.
Disability Rights
We strive for a country free of discrimination against people with disabilities; where people with disabilities are valued, integrated members of society who have full access to education, homes, health care, jobs, families, voting, and civic engagement.
Economic Justice
Through litigation and advocacy, we aim to remedy deeply entrenched sources of economic inequality and ensure that access to opportunity and the ability to build wealth is available to all.
Housing
Housing is a basic human right, and equal access to housing is a civil right guaranteed under our laws.
Reproductive Freedom
Through litigation, advocacy, and public education, our work focuses on a range of issues, including protecting access to affordable contraception, protecting a pregnant person's ability to make personal, private decisions about pregnancy and abortion, and fighting pregnancy discrimination.