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Virginia Prisons’ Aging Pains
(02/03/2012) Virginia, like many states across the country, is encountering a growing problem in its prison system: an aging inmate population. “Elderly” inmates, those age 50 or older as designated by the National Institute of Corrections, comprise the fastest growing group in prison. In 1990, Virginia incarcerated 900 elderly inmates, now there are over 5,000. read more »
Celebrate Roe by Speaking Up for Choice in Virginia
(1/23/2012) Yesterday marked the 39th anniversary of the Supreme Court’s landmark decision in Roe v. Wade, which legalized abortion and recognized that patients and their physicians are the best judges of which procedures are medically necessary. Celebrate Roe today by speaking out against attempts to destroy a woman’s right to choose in Virginia. read more »
Abused, Overused, and Rarely Discussed: Solitary Confinement in Virginia
(1/17/2012) Long neglected and rarely discussed, solitary confinement has recently become a topic in the media, and now three legislators have finally introduced a bill to investigate the practice in Virginia. Whether or not the bill will pass in 2012 is up in the air, but now that the issue has garnered some attention, it will at the very least be an important part of the legislative discussion this year. read more »
It’s a Tough Job and We’re Here to Do It
(01/11/2012) Legislators, old and new, convene today in Richmond for the 2012 Virginia General Assembly, and they will almost certainly make this session the most challenging in decades. That’s because a new crop of social conservatives swept into office in unprecedented numbers in November and is prepared to push through its agenda taking aim at reproductive freedom, religious liberty, and immigrants’ rights. read more »
Sometimes Kids Do Say the Darndest Things
(1/5/2012) A group of Albemarle County third graders got a lesson in free speech recently when a song they wrote and performed with Kid Pan Alley received nationwide attention for its content. No, the song’s lyrics are not profane or pornographic, but they do obliquely address the Occupy movement and suggest that being part of the “99 percent” isn’t so bad. read more »
Losing Jean but Not Her Spirit
(12/20/2011) I suppose this is not the right time of year to talk about someone dying, but if death can be uplifting, Jean McCrosky managed to pull that off. Jean was 94 when she passed away two weeks ago, only months after resigning from the board of directors of the ACLU of Virginia due to declining health. We knew Jean for only the last seven or eight years of her life. During that time, she was an active, committed member of the board who endeared herself to volunteers and staff alike with her enthusiasm for the ACLU, her sly sense of humor, and her sometimes alarmingly candid remarks. read more »
For the Innocent, There Must be a Better Way
(12/12/2011) Last week, Thomas Haynesworth finally got the justice he deserved after serving 27 years in prison for crimes he didn’t commit—a writ of actual innocence. I’d like to think his wrongful conviction is an extremely rare situation. However, he is one of 280 people – and counting – in the U.S. who was exonerated by DNA evidence after his conviction. And perhaps more disheartening is research estimating that wrongful conviction is the story of potentially tens of thousands of people in America. read more »
When it Comes to Religious Expression in School, It’s all about Context
(12/03/2011) When reporters hear about religious expression in public schools they’re quick to call the ACLU with a simple question: “Is that legal?” And more often than not, the answer we provide is a disappointing one to them. “It depends,” we say. read more »
Can Employers Ban Turkey on Thanksgiving Day?
(11/22/2011) When Bon Secours announced last week that it would no longer hire individuals who smoked, the calls came pouring in to the ACLU of Virginia. Can they do this? Doesn’t this violate some kind of law? The answer is no, it doesn’t violate Virginia law. But like a lot of simple answers, there’s a complex back story. And, it happens to be one we should be paying attention to if we care about our privacy rights. read more »
Schools Must Protect Students from Sexual Violence
(11/18/2011) The statistics are staggering: 1 in 5 women are sexually assaulted while in college, and approximately 81 percent of students experienced some form of sexual harassment during their school years. Sexual violence in schools and on campus is a pressing civil rights issue. When students suffer sexual assault and harassment, they are deprived of equal and free access to an education. read more »
