As the leading civil rights and civil liberties organization in the Land of Lincoln, the ACLU of Illinois works constantly to keep the public informed about the state of their civil liberties. The work we do in the legislature, in the courts, and in our communities is important, but there is no better defender of civil rights than an informed and engaged public citizenry. Knowledge is power.
Since the 1970’s, the steep increase in Illinois’ incarcerated population has been driven primarily not by any rise in crime, but by the drastic escalation in the length of sentences imposed by elected officials.
Contact Tracing works backwards from someone testing positive for COVID-19 to identify anyone they may have come in contact with, possibly exposing them to the disease.
Right now, mandatory minimum sentencing laws are extremely punitive to people in Illinois and routinely deny judges in our state the flexibility to craft individualized sentences.
Kate Holt, a Springfield woman, filed a complaint last week charging that the state’s capitol is violating state law by denying insurance coverage for physician-directed care for employees who are transgender. The charge recounts how Ms.
Illinois still sends too many people to prison - and gives too many people felony records that follow them for life - for crimes that are often just the symptoms of poverty, addiction, and mental illness.
Tools like Amazon Ring’s doorbell system are often touted as a solution to safety concerns.