Latest From ACLU of Washington

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

ACLU Sues Psychologists Who Designed and Ran CIA Torture Program

News Release, Published: 
Tuesday, October 13, 2015
Three former CIA prisoners represented by the ACLU filed a lawsuit today against the two psychologists who designed and implemented the CIA’s torture program. Filed in federal court in Spokane, the suit alleges war crimes and unlawful human experimentation.
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Surveillance Model Ordinance and Toolkit

Document, Published: 
Monday, October 12, 2015
Spurred partly by federal government grants, many local agencies are interested in acquiring and employing new surveillance equipment. While technological advances provide many new capabilities to government, they also have the ability to significantly infringe on privacy and freedom of association rights. This toolkit provides lawmakers with the tools they’ll need when considering whether to acquire and use surveillance equipment. The toolkit flags issues that should be explored and presents an easy process to evaluate the ramifications of new technologies.
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Organizations Supporting Tor: Help Us Help You!

Published: 
Wednesday, October 7, 2015
The ACLU of Washington would love to hear from organizations that have or are planning to roll out either Tor relays or the Tor Browser. Supporting Tor is part of our work advocating for privacy, access to information, and free speech.
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Funding the Criminal Justice System on the Backs of the Poor: ACLU Sues Benton County for Operating Debtors’ Prison

Published: 
Tuesday, October 6, 2015
After struggling with addiction and mental illness, Jayne Fuentes served her time, found a job and got her life back on track. She’s been sober and crime-free for three years, but one thing still dogs her: fear of being jailed or forced to do physical labor because she can’t afford to pay the government.
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Lawsuit Challenges Modern-Day Debtors’ Prison

News Release, Published: 
Tuesday, October 6, 2015
An ACLU-WA lawsuit says Benton County is violating the Constitution by jailing, threatening to jail, or forcing manual labor on people who are too poor to pay court-imposed debts. 
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Benton County Debtors’ Prison Lawsuit: Frequently Asked Questions

Published: 
Tuesday, October 6, 2015
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ACLU Calls for Changing State Law on Prosecuting Police for Killings

Published: 
Thursday, September 10, 2015
The prosecutor has decided not to file charges against Pasco police officers who killed a man throwing rocks. The decision shows a clear need to amend our state law on use of deadly force by law enforcement, so that police can better be held accountable.
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Courts Should Review Harsh Sentences from Ill-Conceived Drug Laws

Published: 
Friday, September 4, 2015
The War on Drugs has left thousands of people locked up under sentencing laws now widely viewed as discriminatory and not based in fact. An ACLU-WA brief is taking aim at the effects of an egregious Drug War policy: the lengthy sentences being served because of the government’s wrongheaded distinction between crack and powder cocaine, resulting in a 100:1 crack-powder disparity in sentences.
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Fighting Censorship of The Children’s Hour Set the Stage for the ACLU

Published: 
Friday, September 4, 2015
The ACLU is proud to cosponsor The Intiman Theatre’s production of The Children’s Hour, an historic play that helped establish the ACLU’s reputation for defending art and literature from censorship and marked the ACLU’s first involvement in LGBT issues.
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State Supreme Court: Work messages on a public employee’s cell phone are public record

Published: 
Friday, August 28, 2015
Work-related text messages on a public employee’s personal cell phone are public records subject to disclosure, the Washington State Supreme Court ruled Aug. 27.
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ACLU Urges Seattle to Delay Enforcement Action Against Hookah Lounges

Published: 
Thursday, August 27, 2015
The ACLU of Washington is concerned about the City’s announced plan to shut down hookah lounges across the city. We believe that city enforcement decisions that will deprive business owners of their livelihood should not be made in haste. Read the full letter to Seattle Mayor Edward Murray below.
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