Latest From ACLU of Washington

The latest content and updates from the ACLU of Washington website.

Addressing the region’s opiate crisis as a public health issue is the best way to fight it

Published: 
Friday, March 4, 2016
Heavy-handed law enforcement is one of the primary ways society has attempted to deal with the complicated issue of drug abuse. Responding to problematic drug use from a public health perspective is a far better approach.
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ACLU-WA Launches Website on Surveillance Technology

News Release, Published: 
Thursday, March 3, 2016
The ACLU-WA has launched “They Are Watching,” a website providing information about cutting-edge surveillance technologies and the threats they pose to privacy, free speech, and other civil liberties.
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They are watching. Are you?

Published: 
Thursday, March 3, 2016
New surveillance technologies and the problems associated with them are complex and have a cost to our privacy and security, as well as to public budgets. Without privacy protections, clearly defined operating procedures, enforcement provisions, and audits, communities should rightly fear that government will use these systems in ways that infringe upon their civil liberties, now or in the future.
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ACLU legal victory prompts governments to shore up indigent defense

Published: 
Wednesday, March 2, 2016
The right to a meaningful defense in court, even if you can’t afford a lawyer, is a cornerstone of our justice system. But access to an attorney means little if your attorney lacks the time, resources, or skills to be an effective advocate.
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El Restablecimiento Del Derecho a Votar en Washington

Document, Published: 
Tuesday, March 1, 2016
La asamblea legislativa de Washington recientemente aprobó una ley la cual automáticamente restaura el derecho a votar a personas culpables de delitos graves al haber cumplido su condena de prisión y período de supervisión comunitaria bajo la supervisión del Departamento Correccional. 
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ACLU and Allies Receive Responses on Walgreens-Providence Collaboration

Published: 
Monday, February 29, 2016
On December 14, the ACLU of Washington along with 18 other public interest organizations that advocate for patients’ rights and comprehensive health care access sent a letter to Walgreens requesting information about its strategic collaboration for the opening of up to 25 clinics in Washington and Oregon with Providence Health & Services, a Catholic health care provider.
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Questions and Answers about Legal Financial Obligations (LFOs)

Published: 
Thursday, February 25, 2016
Answers to frequent questions about legal financial obligations (LFOs) in Washington
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ACLU Urges WA Supreme Court to Strike Down Death Penalty for Being Arbitrary, Unfair, Racially Biased

News Release, Published: 
Wednesday, February 24, 2016
An ACLU brief asserts that the state’s system of capital punishment is fundamentally flawed and must be struck down: Joining in the brief are 56 former and retired judges from around the state and a wide range of other organizations.
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Courts should not demand LFOs from people eking out a living on government benefits

Published: 
Monday, February 22, 2016
People who’ve served their sentences should be allowed to move on with their lives. They shouldn’t be saddled with debt for years or even decades after their release simply because they are too poor to pay court fees.
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Meron Fikru: Inspired by history to change the future

Published: 
Friday, February 19, 2016
A nine-day civil rights pilgrimage through the South in October with her University of Washington civil rights class brought history to life for Meron Fikru.
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Judge gives DSHS strict timeline to resolve problems that force mentally ill people to languish in jail

Published: 
Thursday, February 18, 2016
A U.S. District Court issued a timeline by which the Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) must fix problems that have forced mentally ill defendants to languish in jails for months, waiting for the agency to provide them with mental health evaluations and treatment.
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