The ACLU of the District of Columbia has an ambitious agenda to protect and advance the civil liberties and rights of all District residents this year. Here are our priorities for the 2024 Legislative Session in the D.C. Council.
Criminal Justice Reform
We believe that District policymakers should take a comprehensive approach to public safety, including funding and supporting appropriate alternatives to policing that can prevent violence and respond to District resident's needs.
When police do interact with communities, law enforcement agencies and individual officers must respect District residents’ civil rights and civil liberties and must be held accountable when they fail to do so. Finally, we believe that the rights guaranteed to criminal suspects, defendants, offenders, and incarcerated people are fundamental to protecting all Americans from governmental abuse of power.
We work to limit harmful police practices that hurt District residents – especially District residents from marginalized communities – and to advocate for public safety solutions that go beyond policing and incarceration to respond to community needs. We also work to puncture “tough on crime” rhetoric, safeguard fundamental liberties, and advocate for sensible, evidence-based reforms of criminal legal policies.
Freedom from Discrimination
The ACLU of D.C. believes that District residents should be able to build lives where they can access safe and secure housing, sustainable jobs, quality healthcare, and other necessities of life free from discrimination.
We work to advance policy changes that protect D.C. residents from discrimination and advocate against government policies that disproportionately affect people from historically marginalized populations. District policy should create opportunities for individuals to support themselves and their families, not barriers.
