Criminal Legal Reform

A golden statue holding the scales of justice in one hand and a sword in the other against a blue sky backdrop.

The Bill of Rights protects every American against suspicionless searches and seizures and guarantees due process to individuals who are accused of crimes and humane treatment to those who are incarcerated. The ACLU of Alaska works to ensure that our criminal justice system is just by addressing a wide range of issues such as: prisoners' rights, racial inequity in our justice system, disproportionately harsh sentencing laws, the school-to-prison pipeline and over-criminalization of young people, mass incarceration, police brutality, and over-policing of low-income and urban communities.

The Latest

News & Commentary
elderly incarceration

New report outlines silent crisis of elderly incarceration

A new report has been released, "Trapped in Time: The Silent Crisis of Elderly Incarceration," exposing how U.S. prisons are failing to keep up with the rising number of aging people behind bars.
News & Commentary
Op ed cover

Violent Palmer arrest should be a call for accountability

Our criminal legal system is supposed to hold people accountable. If done right, accountability can repair relationships, build trust, help people learn from mistakes and make our community safer.
News & Commentary
Housing safety

All Alaskans deserve to be safe

At the ACLU of Alaska, public safety is a uniting theme that weaves all of our work together.
Press Release
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ICE detainee held at Anchorage jail in June is hospitalized with tuberculosis

The hospitalization was uncovered by the detainee's attorney, who was denied access to his client in Tacoma, Washington.
Court Case
May 06, 2025

Vail v. Dunleavy

Court Case
Mar 04, 2025

Estate of Lewis Jordan Jr v. State of Alaska, Department of Corrections

Court Case
Aug 31, 2023

Estate of Rider v. Alaska Department of Corrections, et al.

Court Case
Nov 15, 2023

Gary v. Alaska Department of Corrections, et al