News & Commentary

Let’s face it: the last few years have been exhausting. When every day brings a new headline of another rule broken, another norm shattered, another liberty attacked, another person suffering injustice, another tweet, it can become easy to lose sight of just how much we have accomplished, and just how different our country and state would be were it not for the millions of passionate, caring ACLU supporters who fight the good fight each and every day.

The first Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR) I attended in Indy was a polite, sedate affair. It was hosted by a big church downtown and just so happened to have zero trans people involved. A preacher said some really kind things about us and about our lost friends and family members. Trans people sat quietly in disconnected little groups scattered among the pews and received these platitudes with reserved grace.  

At the ACLU of Indiana, we rely on help from our supporters to make Indiana a more just and equitable state for all Hoosiers. As critical battles to protect our civil liberties continue, we are grateful to those who take action with us.

Between September 15 and October 15, we celebrate the culture and independence days of various Latin American countries. Hispanic Heritage Month is recognized and celebrated in all kinds of ways, some of which can lead to tokenism and lack of awareness of issues facing the Latinx community. As a proud daughter of Nicaraguan immigrants, I see the month as a time to reflect and celebrate the resiliency within our community.

The confluence of the opioid epidemic and the relocation of low-level offenders to Indiana county jails, among other factors, have left jails dramatically overcrowded, understaffed, and lacking adequate resources to appropriately house and care for the individuals incarcerated there.

Women’s equality, and especially the concept of feminism, have long been controversial topics. And although so much progress has been made, we still have a long way to go. So how will we know when we’ve “achieved” equality?

Across Indiana, inmates are being subjected to overcrowded jail cells and inhumane living conditions. Many are forced to sleep on cell floors, exposed to extremely dirty conditions with insects and black mold. Even worse, when prisons and jails are over capacity, the needs of prisoners with medical and mental health needs are often overlooked and unmet.

The ACLU of Indiana is urging the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) not to roll back health care protections for transgender people.

An Indiana county has taken a retroactive step, approving a pay-to-stay policy that will likely send people who are incarcerated hurling back into the criminal justice system by loading them with debt. Pay-to-stay policies involve inmate fees charged by jails and prisons while people are incarcerated, locking people in cycles of imprisonment and debt. Not only are these pay-to-stay programs fiscally impractical, they perpetuate mass incarceration.