News & Commentary

The Connecticut General Assembly’s 2019 legislative session began on January 9, and the ACLU of Connecticut is pushing for the legislature to pass bills to advance smarter justice policies, immigrants’ rights, police transparency, and more. Here are just some of the issues we’ll be working on.

On January 19, 2019, ACLU Smart Justice Connecticut leader Tracie Bernardi stepped up to the podium at the Hartford Women's March. Here is what she told the crowd.

On January 17, 2019, leaders with the ACLU of Connecticut's Smart Justice campaign were joined by elected leaders in announcing two 2019 legislative priorities for criminal justice reform.

In Governor Lamont’s first State of the State speech, he declared: “This is our chance to reinvent Connecticut.” When it comes to reforming the state’s criminal justice system, Smart Justice will be pushing Governor Lamont to be true to his word and for the legislature to do its part, too.

Governor-elect Ned Lamont's criminal justice policy committee released a strong roadmap to move our state in a safer, fairer, and freer direction during the first 100 days of 2019. Smart Justice is ready to make sure Governor-elect Lamont follows through on his criminal justice reform promises.

Connecticut voters want our state to realize its potential to end mass incarceration and eliminate racial disparities in the justice system. Smart Justice is ready to make sure Connecticut’s new governor-elect and legislature prioritize smart justice policies in their first 100 days and beyond.

Last month, the City of Hartford launched a public relations campaign to try to manage the fallout from a video in which then-Sergeant Stephen Barone, a police department manager, threatened a group of young, mostly Black and brown people by saying he was “trigger happy.”

Smart Justice has been rallying around the state with one message: Connecticut voters want smarter justice policies now, and political leaders need to sit up, pay attention, and listen to formerly incarcerated people.

Connecticut faces an enormous decision about the direction of its economic future. Yet as politicians pitch visions about their plans for prosperity, most are not talking about the staggering financial toll that criminal incarceration has had on this state. I have at least 87 billion reasons why they should.