News & Commentary
Ending Indefinite Solitary Confinement for the Vast Majority of People with Death Sentences in Oklahoma
By Travis Handler
Latest Event
Share this event "Stories That Free Us!" The Alabama Solution Screening & Panel Discussion
JJI hosts The Alabama Solution Screening + panel connecting prison conditions in Alabama & Oklahoma and why reform matters nationwide.
Join the Julius Jones Institute for a powerful community screening of The Alabama Solution, an Oscar-nominated 2025 documentary that brings audiences inside the Alabama Department of Corrections, revealing severe conditions, unchecked violence, and systemic failures long hidden from public view through footage recorded by incarcerated people themselves.
This event is hosted in partnership with C.A.N, Diversion Hub, Foundation for Liberating Minds, ACLU of Oklahoma, LiveFree Oklahoma, Oklahoma Appleseed and Vote For Change.
Though the film centers on Alabama’s prison crisis, these systemic issues are urgent not only in Alabama, but also in Oklahoma and across the United States, where communities are impacted by mass incarceration, lack of accountability, and human rights concerns within our carceral system.
Following the screening, stay for a community panel moderated by Senator Nikki Nice, where leaders and advocates will discuss how the film’s insights connect to justice system challenges nationally and locally, and explore pathways toward reform, accountability, healing, and collective action.
Federal Court Declares Oklahoma Ban on Marriage for Same-Sex Couples Unconstitutional
OKLAHOMA CITY – A federal court today declared that Oklahoma’s ban on marriage for same-sex couples is unconstitutional. Implementation of the decision is on hold while the state appeals.
By Bryan Newell
49 Oklahomans Serving Life Without Parole for Nonviolent Offenses, Finds ACLU
OKLAHOMA CITY – In the first-ever study of people serving life without parole for nonviolent offenses in the United States, the ACLU found at least 3,278 such prisoners in federal and state prisons combined; 49 of whom are serving life without parole for nonviolent offenses in Oklahoma.
By Bryan Newell
ACLU of Oklahoma Applauds District Attorney’s Call for Direct Appropriation from the Legislature
OKLAHOMA CITY –
By Bryan Newell
THE WAR ON MARIJUANA IN BLACK AND WHITE
OKLAHOMA CITY – According to a report by the ACLU, Blacks were arrested for marijuana possession at nearly three times the rate of whites in 2010, despite comparable marijuana usage rates. The report, Marijuana in Black and White: Billions of Dollars Wasted on Racially Biased Arrests, released June 5th, is the first ever to examine state and county marijuana arrest rates nationally by race. The findings show that while there were pronounced racial disparities in marijuana arrests 10 years ago, they have grown significantly worse.[1]
By Bryan Newell
TESTIMONY OF RYAN KIESEL, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, ACLU OF OK TO THE ENERGY AND AEROSPACE COMMITTEE OF THE OK HOUSE OF REPS FOR INTERIM DRONE STUDY
September 26, 2013
By Bryan Newell
ACLU OF OKLAHOMA HONORS FIVE LAWMAKERS FOR 2013 SESSION
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK--The American Civil Liberties Union of Oklahoma is honoring five lawmakers for the 2013 legislative session. The Oklahoma legislature has a history of being home to true champions of civil liberties. These giants stood guard of the Constitution in a state more often known for its efforts to trample civil liberties than to protect them. The courage of these legislators to do the right thing regardless of the political consequences not only has mitigated some of the worst assaults on our freedom, but on occasion have led the charge for Oklahoma to be more free and more just than it was before their service.
By Bryan Newell
ACLU of Oklahoma Challenges State Capitol Ten Commandments Monument
OKLAHOMA CITY – The American Civil Liberties Union of Oklahoma and the national ACLU have filed suit on behalf of several Oklahomans challenging the constitutionality of the state’s Ten Commandments Monument.
By Bryan Newell
ACLU of Oklahoma calls for Criminal Charges and State Investigation in Caddo County Drug Task Force/Desert Snow Profit-sharing Scheme
OKLAHOMA CITY – The American Civil Liberties Union of Oklahoma today called for an OSBI investigation of the recent activities of the District Six Drug Task Force, and for criminal charges to be filed against members of Desert Snow, LLC, a private contracting company hired by Caddo County District Attorney Jason Hicks to help run drug interdiction stops of motorists along I-40 in exchange for a percentage of the Task Force’s profits.
By Bryan Newell
Stay Informed
Sign up to be the first to hear about how to take action.
By completing this form, I agree to receive occasional emails per the terms of the ACLU’s privacy statement.
By completing this form, I agree to receive occasional emails per the terms of the ACLU’s privacy statement.