Rights of the Poor
California’s Justice System is a Debt Trap
By: Adrienna Wong Erica Smith was making a fresh start. After being forced out of her home by domestic violence, she had spent the last three years cycling between homelessness and jail for petty offenses. But with... Read More
Administrative Fees (SB 144)
Right now, California law charges administrative fees to people who come in contact with the criminal justice system, including fees for public defenders, booking, mandatory drug testing, and costs related to a... Read More
ACLU Comment on Governor Newsom’s Proposal to Lengthen Paid Family Leave in California
Press Contact: Daisy Vieyra, 916.824.3266 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 10, 2019 SACRAMENTO-Today, California Governor Gavin Newsom introduced his budget proposal for the 2019-20 Fiscal Year. Included in the... Read More
Defending the Rights of the Most Vulnerable
Poor people are one of the least powerful groups in the United States and their civil liberties are therefore always in a precarious state. The ACLU has historically defended the rights of the poor against government... Read More
Right to Clean and Safe Schools, Textbooks, and Qualified Teachers
The ACLU, as part of a large coalition of civil rights groups, sued the state of California in 2000, alleging that California was negligent in assuring equal access to public education, since public schools serving poor... Read More