As part of our work, the ACLU of Southern California issues reports, position papers and advocacy materials that study and note developments in civil liberties. Below is a listing of some of our publications organized by issue.
In 2019, youth leaders at Gente Organizada discovered that their school district was illegally spending funds reserved for foster youth, English learners, and low-income students (“high-need students”) on school police and security. Outraged, the students organized and ran a campaign to stop it.
February 25, 2020
Los Angeles County has a responsibility to ensure that all its community members, whether rich or poor, receive equal justice and a fair chance to succeed. However, by using the criminal system to extract fees and fines from low-income communities of color, the county is doing the opposite.
November 19, 2019
Though it is our court cases that often make headlines, we have always been driven by people power, and we're looking for ways to grow it. We're investing new resources into a volunteer structure that will greatly strengthen our impact, including a leadership program for community activists to
October 24, 2019
Democracy depends on the public's right to know what its government is doing, so it can hold officials accountable. California voters recognized the fundamental importance of public access to documents by enshrining the right of access in the state constitution.
September 26, 2019
This report reveals troubling racial bias, unfairness, and overuse of the death penalty in Los Angeles under District Attorney Jackie Lacey's watch. Los Angeles voters have repeatedly rejected the death penalty at the ballot box, yet DA Lacey has continued to seek the death penalty in capital trials
June 18, 2019
Pepper spray, formally known as aerosolized oleoresin capsicum or "OC spray," is so toxic and dangerous that it is classified and regulated under state law as a form of tear gas.
May 22, 2019