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


Voices Uncaged: Hispanic Heritage Art and Activism

This event is in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month with the purpose of bringing together artists, organizers, and community members to explore the powerful intersection of art and activism. We aim to uplift the voices, experiences, and resilience of immigrant communities – particularly those impacted by detention, deportation, and harmful immigration policies.

The event will take place at a local art gallery in the Paseo Art district of OKC near Flora Bodega, a community hub. Attendees can come-and-go anytime from 6-9pm on Friday, September 4 during the Paseo District's First Friday gallery walk.

Hispanic woman and man looking to the left.

More from the Press


Placeholder image

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



Everyone Must be Counted in the 2020 Census

Ebony Miranda, Board Chair, Black Lives Matter Seattle-King County

Ever

A demonstrator holding a sign with the text "It's in the Constitution: everyone counts" outside the Supreme Court.

The Added Importance of the Census, in Light of COVID-19

Steven K. Choi, Executive Director, New York Immigration Coalition

Last

Two envelopes containing 2020 U.S. Census forms.

The Transgender Community Needs More than Visibility

Aimee Stephens

I wa

Aimee Stephens speaks with reporters outside the Supreme Court.

Executive Action Requested With Regard to COVID-19 and Oklahoma Prisons, Jails

ACLU of Oklahoma and partners submit a draft executive order addressing the most urgent next steps in addressing COVID-19 in our prisons and jails before it becomes a crisis that overwhelms not only custodial care providers but the Oklahoma medical system at large.

Social Media Square Logo

Freedom Oklahoma and the ACLU of Oklahoma Urge State, Local Leadership to Take Further Steps to Protect Resident

Freedom Oklahoma and the ACLU of Oklahoma released recommendations that the Oklahoma City government, State officials, and policymakers across Oklahoma must consider to achieve a fair and effective response to COVID-19.

COVID-19

COVID-19 Oklahoma City Municipal Judicial Order

Thank you to the Oklahoma City Municipal Judicial leadership for an urgent response to COVID-19 that centers the public health of everyone who is a part of the legal system, especially those currently detained. We hope this will serve as a model to other Oklahoma municipalities and jurisdictions during this pandemic.  

Social Media Square Logo

Urgent Action Needed to Protect Individuals in Oklahoma's Prisons and Jails from Coronavirus-19 Pandemic

The ACLU will be watching closely to make sure the government's response is ​scientifically justified and no more intrusive on civil liberties than absolutely necessary. This includes keeping an eye on people in prisons and jails, who are especially vulnerable to outbreaks of contagious illnesses because they are housed in close quarters, with limited resources, and are often in poor health.

Overrepresented populations

Oklahoma Needs Healthcare Champions, Not Constitutional Con Artists

While most Oklahomans are aware that our legislature is meeting, it can be hard to follow along with what exactly is happening--so much of what goes on inside the Capitol is shrouded in layers of process and jargon. So, for months at a time legislators move their priorities through the various chambers, titles move on and off, amendments are submitted with little time to review, and major deadlines mean sometimes more than 100 bills are heard in a day. A handful of bills get signed into law in these early months, but often it seems like a sprint to get bills across the final hurdles as a state budget is wrapped up in May, and the public gets toplines of the best and the worst through legislative wrap up articles or coverage around effective dates. In an election year, all of that seems especially true, with many bills moving along party lines for the sake of partisan talking points and political scorecards. But then, you have bills like Senate Bill 1728, which poses an entirely different kind of danger. 

By

Reproductive Freedom

It’s Clear: In Oklahoma Cash Bail is Being Used as Ransom to Keep People Who Are Poor Behind Bars

In Canadian County, Oklahoma if you have the money, you get out of jail. If you are poor, you stay in. That’s why we sued.

Smart Justice Campaign Advocacy Day 2019