DETROIT—Concerned over potential civil-rights violations in the grisly death of Macomb County Jail inmate David Stojcevski, the ACLU of Michigan in a letter today urged US Department of Justice officials to investigate not only the fatality but also the unconstitutional “pay-or-stay” sentencing practices that landed Stojcevski in jail in the first place.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan welcomes Governor Rick Snyder’s executive order establishing a commission to improve Michigan’s system for providing defense to poor people in criminal cases.

Detroit – The American Civil Liberties Union applauded a Michigan Supreme Court decision today allowing its lawsuit to proceed that seeks to fix Michigan’s system for providing defense to poor people in criminal cases. In April, the Michigan Supreme Court unanimously rejected the State of Michigan’s attempts to dismiss the case and, in an about-face just 3 months later, reversed its decision. Today’s order vacates the July 16, 2010 decision and reinstates the original order sending the case back to Ingham Circuit Court to rule on the merits of the case.

Detroit – In a landmark decision today, the Supreme Court ruled that it is unconstitutional for juvenile offenders who did not commit homicide to be sentenced to life in prison without any chance of parole. The 5-4 decision, written by Justice Anthony Kennedy, states that such sentences violate the 8th Amendment's ban on cruel and unusual punishment.

On my first day at work at ACLU, I was horrified to discover that right now there are over 300 children, or inmates who were children when they were incarcerated, serving life sentences in Michigan prisons with no chance of parole.

Life without parole is a harsh penalty, justifiable when a serious crime has been committed, as justice meted out, as an effort at deterrence and as a way to keep law-abiding citizens safe.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan lauded a federal judge’s ruling striking down a 2000 amendment to the state civil rights law that stripped prisoners from protection against sex, race and religious discrimination. The ACLU of Michigan is now urging the state legislature to quickly take action to remedy years of discrimination and abuse in the state’s prison system.

Detroit — In an American Civil Liberties Union case, a federal court today ruled that the Bush administration’s program to monitor the phone calls and e-mails of Americans without warrants is unconstitutional and must be stopped. This is the first ruling by a federal court to strike down the controversial National Security Agency surveillance program.

Detroit — The American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan announced today that it will join in three lawsuits that have been filed against the Saginaw County Jail for allowing egregious and unconstitutional treatment of detainees.  In two of the cases, detainees were stripped and held naked in a cell referred to as "the hole." In the third case, several policies are being challenged that have allowed strip searches of thousands of detainees.

DETROIT – In a victory for women prisoners, the American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan announced today that a tentative settlement agreement was reached in a class-action lawsuit to remedy Livingston County’s refusal to allow women in the jail to use the work release program and mistreatment of women prisoners. Though the final agreement is awaiting the judge’s signature, news of the settlement was disclosed by the Livingston County Undersheriff yesterday.