News & Commentary

In case you missed it, Justin Bieber is in trouble with the law -- for late-night drag racing in Miami Beach, Florida. His arrest sparked so much national outrage from his supporters that #FreeBieber began trending on Twitter.

In 2003, Women in Black Baltimore, a group that holds weekly silent vigils at the Inner Harbor against war and violence, joined with the ACLU to challenge Baltimore City's unfair permit policies.Previously, the rules required even a single person to obtain a permit from the Office of Recreation and Parks in order to engage

At the core of this travesty is excessively harsh crime policies, which when paired with racially biased policing result in mass incarceration of people of color.African Americans are incarcerated at nearly six times the rate of whites, while Latinos comprise about 20% of all inmates. In 1980, there were about 40,000 people in American jails and prisons for drug crimes. Today, there are almost 500,000.The ACLU of Maryland advocates for humane and sensible policies that respect basic rights, seek to end racial profiling and make the best use of limited resources to help keep us safe.And then join the conversation by attending one or more of our upcoming events:

Today at the ACLU of Maryland, we are taking our data back and we want you to join us.

The news is filled with reports of citizen journalists being arrested or having their cell phones taken after recording police encounters. Now, the Department of Justice (DOJ) has weighed in and the message to law enforcement is clear: the First Amendment protects the right to record police performing their duties in public.