ACLU of Utah

Moving Justice Forward For 60 Years!

How to Give Public Comment Virtually at the Utah Legislature (Pandemic Edition)

Jan 20, 2021

As committee hearings fill up the Legislative calendar, learn how to give public comment virtually by signing up beforehand or joining the online hearings. Check out the ACLU of Utah's new guide on "How to Give Public Comment Virtually at the Utah Legislature." The ACLU of Utah encourages everyone to lobby virtually this year to protect the health of our community.

Stories from the Inside: Incarceration in the time of COVID-19

Jan 14, 2021

Stories from the Inside: Incarceration in the time of COVID-19. As the pandemic continues to spread within Utah jails and prisons, our criminal legal system continues to devalue the lives of incarcerated people. As of late December, 15 people have died of COVID-19 in the Utah prison system, while county jails across the state have experienced their own outbreaks on varying scales. This story describes the death of one of those inmates as told by one of his cell-mates, who we will call “C” to protect his identity. C is incarcerated in the Oquirrh 5 Facility (OQ5) at the Draper State Prison. OQ5 is a dorm style housing unit where some of the most medically vulnerable individuals are consolidated. They are disproportionately elderly, disabled, and medically high risk. While C was quarantining due to exposure to COVID-19, he witnessed the deterioration and death of a fellow inmate (this inmate’s name is redacted for privacy reasons)...

Job Listing: Staff Attorney

Jan 12, 2021

Job Listing: Staff Attorney The ACLU of Utah seeks a Staff Attorney to join its legal team in the fight for civil rights and individual liberties. As a state affiliate of the American Civil Liberties Union, the ACLU of Utah operates through a model of integrated advocacy, using litigation, legislative efforts, policy advocacy, and community engagement as mutually supportive tactics to advance civil rights for everyone in Utah. Applications close January 25, 2021.

Coming Together on Police Reform: The Legislative Process

Jan 07, 2021

Coming Together on Police Reform This is our third virtual panel discussion on police reform--this time focusing on the Utah Legislature and upcoming bills that are most likely to resolve issues of equity and use of force. Panelists will include lawmakers and advocates who can identify the most promising bills and help citizens lobby effectively for their passage.

Social Media Blocking Toolkit

Jan 04, 2021

Every January a new crop of elected officials sets up official social accounts to connect to their constituents... and we have to remind they can't block people for criticizing them. Has an elected representative blocked you on social media?If your answer is "yes," you've come to the right place.

Stories from the Inside: Incarceration in the time of COVID-19

Dec 23, 2020

Stories from the Inside: Incarceration in the time of COVID-19. As the pandemic continues to spread within Utah jails and prisons, our criminal legal system continues to devalue the lives of incarcerated people. As of late December, 11 people have died of COVID-19 in the Utah prison system, while county jails across the state have experienced their own outbreaks on varying scales. Incarceration should not be a death sentence.That’s why the ACLU of Utah has been fighting to protect incarcerated individuals amid this pandemic. Incarceration is the ideal environment for a virus like COVID-19 to spread rapidly. The communal living conditions in jails and prisons are not conducive to social distancing, nor are inmates and staff provided regular and adequate PPP and sanitation supplies. The closure of jails and prisons since March 1 has also presented us with a unique challenge of understanding the extent and damage caused by outbreaks in these facilities...

Press Release: Two Ogden Institutions Team Up to Create Coffee for a Cause

Dec 22, 2020

December 22, 2020 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE The ACLU of Utah is pleased to highlight a recent collaboration between Wasatch Roasting Company and Nurture the Creative Mind, two Ogden-based institutions who believe in boosting local communities. Darren Blackford, owner of Wasatch Roasting Company, and Amir Jackson, founder of Nurture the Creative Mind and a member of the ACLU of Utah Board of Directors, found a way to promote hope and inclusivity in response to the divisiveness happening throughout the country.

Check out our "Know Your Rights" Library

Dec 19, 2020

We recently updated our library of "Know Your Rights" pamphlets from the ACLU of Utah. These documents explain your rights in a variety of situations, from "Your Right Protest," to "Students' Rights," to "What to Do If You Are Stopped By the Police." Find them here: https://www.acluutah.org/resources/articles-position-papers/item/1034-know-your-rights

The ACLU of Utah operates through public education, legal advocacy, litigation, and lobbying to ensure the constitutional rights and freedoms of everyone living in or visiting Utah.