The U.S. Constitution's Bill of Rights protects us against suspicionless searches and seizures. It guarantees due process to individuals who are accused of crimes and humane treatment to those who are incarcerated. However, all too often the rights of those involved in the criminal justice system are compromised or ignored.

The ACLU of Minnesota works to reform the criminal justice system and make the promise of fair treatment a reality for all people. Through litigation and legislative efforts, we work to ensure that our criminal justice system upholds these constitutional protections.

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BY THE NUMBERS

  • The federal prison population has increased by almost 500% in the last 40 years.
  • In the United States, a Black person is 3.73 times more likely to be arrested for marijuana possession than a white person is, despite approximately equal rates of use.
  • Police killed 1,366 people in the U.S. in 2024. 

WHAT'S AT STAKE

The Criminal Law Reform Project seeks to end criminal justice policies that fuel mass incarceration, over-criminalization, and racial injustice.

By fighting for transformational change to policing, pretrial detention, public defense, and probation and parole, CLRP is working to reverse the tide of mass incarceration, advance constitutional rights, shift power to under resourced communities, and to elevate approaches to justice and safety that advance fundamental rights for all.