News & Commentary

Across the country, jails and prisons are packed with people who accepted a plea deal. There’s one huge problem with this: for decades, prosecutors have been stacking the deck to secure plea deals even when their case against a person is shoddy.

House Bill 2567 is a blatant attempt to prevent local communities from establishing systems of accountability and transparency in policing.

This year, there was great momentum for meaningful criminal justice reform to finally become law in Arizona. But despite overwhelming, bipartisan support in the Arizona House of Representatives, the Arizona Senate failed to hear several impactful bills—effectively killing them.

This week continues to be busy for criminal legal reform advocates at the Legislature. Here are some important bills to keep an eye on.

This legislative session, ACLU Smart Justice Arizona is continuing to advocate for much-needed reforms to the criminal legal system. Two important bills will be heard in committee on Wednesday, February 3, 2021 and we will be there virtually to testify in support.

This legislative session, ACLU Smart Justice Arizona is continuing to advocate for much-needed reforms to the criminal legal system. Two important bills will be heard in committee on Wednesday, February 3, 2021 and we will be there virtually to testify in support.

As COVID-19 rages across Arizona, it continues to wreak havoc on the lives of incarcerated people. So far, at least 46 people have died of COVID-19 while living in an Arizona prison. Those are only the deaths that the Arizona Department of Corrections(ADOC) has told us about.

Maricopa County Attorney Allister Adel was elected to serve a four-year term as the top prosecutor of the third-largest prosecuting agency in the nation. The ACLU of Arizona released the following statement in response to the election results.

Maricopa County Attorney Allister Adel is prosecuting people for exercising their First Amendment rights by charging protesters with serious felony offenses aimed at suppressing the movement against police violence. It is blatant overreach and she must answer for it.