For Immediate Release: Sep 04, 2013
Media Contact: press@aclunc.org, (415) 621-2493
ACLU of Northern CA

Sacramento - Less than a month after U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder announced the nation’s plan to scale back federal prison sentences for low-level drug crimes, the California Assembly today passed an historic drug sentencing reform bill that will allow counties to significantly reduce incarceration costs by giving local prosecutors the flexibility to charge low-level, non-violent drug offenses as misdemeanors instead of felonies.

Aug 28, 2013
In the name of public safety, Black children in Oakland are being arrested at vastly disproportionate rates. This derails their opportunities for educational success while failing to ensure our children’s safety. From Report Card to Criminal Record: The Impact of Policing Oakland Youth describes the various and overlapping law enforcement agencies which police Oakland’s children.
Aug 28, 2013
Oakland police are arresting school-age African American youth at shockingly high rates, contributing to a burgeoning education crisis for students of color, according to a new report released today by the Black Organizing Project, ACLU of Northern California, and Public Counsel. The report, "From Report Card to Criminal Record: The Impact of Policing Oakland Youth," reveals disturbing trends about police interaction with Oakland's youth of color and especially with African-American boys.
Aug 28, 2013

The American Civil Liberties Union of California is encouraged by Sen. Darrell Steinberg's proposal, announced today, to reject Gov. Jerry Brown's call for prison expansion and to instead seek lasting solutions to California's overincarceration crisis that will also make our communities safer. As several members of the Senate Democratic Caucus acknowledged at a press conference this morning, mass incarceration has taken a substantial toll on California's communities and it's time to do something different.

Aug 27, 2013
Over the past year, the ACLU has fought against a resurgent wave of extremism in all 50 states — and thanks to the strength and support of members like you, we’ve secured major victories for our fundamental rights and freedoms.
For Immediate Release: Aug 26, 2013
Media Contact: press@aclunc.org, (415) 621-2493
doctor leaning against wall

SACRAMENTO – Today the California Senate passed AB 154 – the Early Access to Abortion bill – by a vote of 25-11. The bill will soon move to Gov. Brown. Authored by Assembly Majority Leader Toni Atkins (D-San Diego), AB 154 would improve abortion access across the state for women who need it. The bill would authorize trained nurse practitioners, certified nurse midwives, and physician assistants to perform early abortions safely within the terms of their licenses.

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