News & Commentary

People living with a record have already earned the right to be part of our communities. But in many cases, a record of arrest or conviction can become a permanent, life-long sentence.

The bill is a direct result of the ACLU of Connecticut’s Smart Justice leaders, who are directly impacted by the justice system, calling for change, and it is part of a longer-term Smart Justice effort to create meaningful prosecutorial accountability.

S.B. 880, An Act Increasing Fairness and Transparency in the Criminal Justice System, is now Connecticut law. Passing a law, however, is just a first step toward creating transparency about prosecutors’ actions and using that information to end mass incarceration and racism in the justice system.

Together, the ACLU of Connecticut and Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness filed a public comment opposing the federal HUD proposed rule regarding "mixed-status" families. The Proposed Rule is another federal government attack against immigrants that would hurt people in Connecticut.

On Monday, Smart Justice leader AnnMarie Stockmeyer and I were honored to attend a policy conversation, “Data Driven Justice: Prosecutorial Accountability and Transparency,” at the Rayburn House Office Building in Washington, D.C. We had been invited by U.S. Representative Alma Adams of North Carolina, who had learned about Smart Justice’s success in Connecticut with the passage of SB 880, “An Act Increasing Fairness and Transparency in the Criminal Justice System.”

Connecticut is the Land of Steady Habits, and many government officials here mistake the habit of letting police do whatever they want for a requirement, even when it is not. The Hamden Police Commission's response to residents is the latest example.

The Connecticut 2019 legislative session ended on June 6th. The ACLU of Connecticut weighed in with testimony on more than 105 bills. We supported and helped pass 13 bills. We helped to defeat 22 bills out of the 23 bills that we opposed.

On May 21, 2019, hundreds of people from across the state joined together to say that when abortion rights are under attack nationwide, Connecticut will stand up and fight back.

Because of a vote in the state Senate, Connecticut voters won’t get to weigh in on early voting in 2020 – but we could get to decide in 2022. Here’s a quick breakdown of what just happened with early voting, and what’s next.