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


Write the Row: Holiday Cards Event

Join ACLU of Oklahoma, the Julius Jones Institute, and the Oklahoma Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty for an afternoon of community and solidarity! Together, we will be writing holiday cards to the men on death row.

The purpose of the “Write the Row” program is to affirm the humanity of the men on death row and ease their feelings of isolations through letters of encouragement. During this event, we want to ensure that the men and their families feel supported throughout the holiday season.

Letter writing materials and snacks will be provided. Please join us and invite your own friends and families to attend!

Criminal Law Reform

More from the Press


Placeholder image

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

Activist Brittany Packnett Cunningham on Building a Lasting Movement

In the last month, protests have erupted across the country calling for justice for Black lives, a wholesale restructuring of policing, and a greater racial reckoning across all facets of American society.

Black Lives Matter demonstrators marching with a large banner with George Floyd's name.

How State Governments Across the Country Failed to Protect Our Communities From COVID-19

Dylan Hayre, Justice Division Campaign Strategist, ACLU

Sinc

Custody assistants walking through hallway of the hospital ward in a jail in Los Angeles.

Taxpayers Shouldn’t Have to Fund Religious Education: How Today’s Supreme Court Decision Further Erodes the Separation of Church and State

Heather L. Weaver, Senior Staff Attorney, ACLU Program on Freedom of Religion and Belief

Today, in an

Photo of the American flag on a flag pole and the Supreme Court in Washington, DC.

The EARN IT Act is a Disaster for Online Speech and Privacy, Especially for the LGBTQ and Sex Worker Communities

Kate Ruane, Former Senior Legislative Counsel, ACLU

Afte

Person typing on a laptop, depicting data breach with animation of open lock over image.

Why Prosecutors Keep Letting Police Get Away With Murder

Somil Trivedi, Former Senior Staff Attorney, ACLU Criminal Law Reform Project

Protesters hold a banner that says, "Prosecute Killer Cops" in front of Los Angeles City Hall during the demonstration.

Protests, Aerial Surveillance, and Police Defunding

Jay Stanley, Senior Policy Analyst, ACLU Speech, Privacy, and Technology Project

For

Protestors react to a low flying helicopter during a march in Brooklyn, New York.

“All Hell Broke Loose.”

When Kishon McDonald saw the video of George Floyd’s murder at the hands of four officers from the Minneapolis Police Department, he could tell it was going to turn the country upside down. “I knew it was going to catch fire,” he said. McDonald, a former sailor in the U.S. Navy, watched over the following days as demonstrations against police brutality spread from Minneapolis to cities and towns across the country, eventually reaching Washington, D.C., where he lived. On June 1, he heard that people were planning to peacefully gather at Lafayette Square, a small park directly across from the White House, and decided to join them. By then, police had begun to attack and beat demonstrators in Minneapolis, New York, and others in states everywhere, escalating tensions as smaller groups broke into shops and set fire to police cars. But when McDonald arrived at Lafayette Square, he found a crowd of a few thousand people cheering, chanting slogans, and listening to speeches. Washington D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser had imposed a 7 p.m. curfew after clashes the night before, but that was still an hour away. “Everybody there was like, it’s alright, we’re going to be here until 7 o’clock,” he said. “It was a very good energy.” It wouldn’t be long before that would change.

Black Lives Matter Protestors run as tear gas is dispensed into the crowd.

Pardon and Parole Board Review of Death Sentences: Two Paths

Julius Jones is seeking relief from his death sentence per a procedure clearly allowed by law and regulation.

By Randy Bauman

Placeholder image

‘Black Lives Matter’ is About More than the Police

Patrisse Cullors, Black Lives Matter

Ever

Protestors hold “Black Lives Matter” sign over their shoulders at a rally in Union Square before marching to Lower Manhattan.