News & Commentary

ACLU National recently released the results of a nationwide study on marijuana arrests. While there were varying results for each state, the arrest data revealed one nationally consistent trend: significant racial bias.

Yesterday, the House Judiciary Committee heard arguments about SB 19, the bill to repeal the death penalty. Six committee votes were needed for the bill to advance. We got five. This does not mean the bill has been killed, though. What needs to happen so the bill can move forward is for that last signature to be secured. The most valuable way you can contribute to that effort is to reach out to the committee members and urge them to sign. Please take two minutes to email them; your voice will make all the difference.

As the legislative session resumes tomorrow, we are eager to see SB19, the bill to repeal the death penalty, move into the House of Representatives. If you haven't been following the bill's progress, this short video gives some good background and includes perspectives from both sides of the issue.

Senate Bill 19 passed the Delaware Senate!Thanks to all of your emails, phone calls, letters and meetings, the Delaware Senate passed the death penalty repeal bill (Senate Bill 19) 11 to 10!!

A recent whitepaper prepared by the Homeless Planning Council of Delaware highlights discriminatory practices that make the lives of individuals and families who are homelessness in Delaware even more difficult than they already are. Read the full report here.

The ACLU of Delaware's Stay in School Workshops are now in their second year. We have reached 186 students from 39 schools across New Castle County. Read more about our progress here.

In the last few years, educational professionals, social service providers, and organizations like the ACLU began confronting the consequences of decades of zero tolerance discipline policies that pushed children out of school and into the juvenile and criminal justice systems.

As we look back on 2012, we see all that has been accomplished, and what still needs work in the coming year.

Throughout the last year, the Delaware Repeal Project has been building a movement to end capital punishment in our state.  A dedicated team has transformed the ACLU-DE conference room into a full-fledged campaign headquarters. Nightly, staff and volunteers make phone calls to recruit supporters upstate and down to sign the online petition and write a letter to or visit their elected officials urging them to vote to repeal the death penalty. Our momentum is growing  quickly.