Criminal Law Reform

Ending Indefinite Solitary Confinement for the Vast Majority of People with Death Sentences in Oklahoma

After years of working collaboratively with the Oklahoma Department of Corrections, we are proud to announce the end of indefinite solitary confinement for the vast majority of people incarcerated with death sentences in Oklahoma.

By Travis Handler

Latest Event


Kendrick Simpson's Clemency Hearing

Kendrick Simpson Clemency Hearing with the Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board has been scheduled for Wednesday, January 14, 2026, at 9:00 am. Mr. Simpson is scheduled for execution on February 12, 2026.

The clemency hearing is open to the public. You can attend in person or watch online via zoom. We highly encourage attendance in person as a show of support for Kendrick and his loved ones.

Attendance Information and Guidelines:

  • Clemency hearings typically run a bit over two hours. Each side's counsel has 40 minutes, the victim's family has 20 minutes, and the person who is incarcerated has 20 minutes. The Pardon and Parole Board can ask questions and discuss before voting.
  • Arrive early (15 minutes or more) to go through security and get a seat before the hearing begins.
  • You should bring your ID with you to sign in.
  • Cell phones are prohibited. You should not be on your phone or take any pictures during the hearing.

Zoom Information:
Web Address: https://doc-ok.zoomgov.com/j/1605301615
Webinar ID: 160 530 1615
Call: 1 669 254 5252 or +1 669 216 1590

For more info click here.

Childhood photos of Kendrick Simpson

More from the Press


Placeholder image

Stay informed on civil rights issues. Discover our latest actions and updates in the Press Release section.

Flock’s Aggressive Expansions Go Far Beyond Simple Driver Surveillance

Build it (an authoritarian tracking infrastructure) and they (expanded uses) will come

Vintage car driving on a road

Live Coverage: ACLU Challenges ICE Detention Centers

The ACLU will be working across the country to challenge unjust and inhumane conditions at ICE detention centers. Follow for live updates.

Close-up of POLICE ICE marking on the back of a vest uniform worn by a trio of officers.

Florida's Secretive Immigration Detention Center, Explained

A secretive, immigration detention camp in the Everglades is drawing national outrage for violating our constitutional rights, for its inhumane conditions, and significant environmental risks.

A road sign that says Alligator Alcatraz and an individual in front of it holding a sign that says "Cruel and Unusual."

Many Are Focused on the Wrong Questions When it Comes to AI

Do large language models have an inherent politics?

A man standing in front of a tank styled like silicon to represent AI

I’m a Columbia Student Journalist. I Watched Censorship Unfold on My Own Campus.

As an opinion editor for the Columbia Daily Spectator during a historic year of campus protests and federal scrutiny, I saw firsthand how student journalists navigated censorship fears, administrative pressure, and growing national attention.

Low Memorial Library on Morningside Heights campus of Columbia University.

Trump's Birthright Citizenship Executive Order: What Happens Next

Children born to parents who are undocumented or have temporary status will retain their right to birthright citizenship. The ACLU explains how the legal fight unfolded.

A demonstrator looks up at her sign (which reads "Citizenship is a Birthright") during a rally outside the Supreme court building demanding the court uphold the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

The Voting Rights Act at 60: A Legacy in Jeopardy, a Democracy at Risk

As the Voting Rights Act turns 60, its legacy is under siege—from courts, lawmakers, and a government retreating from enforcement. The battle to preserve it is now a fight for the future of democracy itself.

Protesters with signs at march on Washington, D.C. for Jobs and Freedom, carrying signs that read "WE DEMAND VOTING RIGHTS NOW!" and WE DEMAND AN END O POLICE BRUTALITY NOW!" on August 28, 1963.

Trump's Attacks on Press Freedom Escalate: NPR, PBS Funding Cuts Explained

From funding cuts and executive orders to billion-dollar lawsuits, the Trump administration is mounting a historic assault on independent journalism and press freedom.

A close-up of a window on NPR's website.

Your Questions Answered: The Supreme Court's Impact On Our Rights

The court's rulings—and its shifting procedures—signal lasting threats to civil liberties.

Pro-choice demonstrators (whose faces and signs are blurred) march in front of the Supreme Court and the statement on its facade, "Equal justice under law".