In our work on criminal justice, the MCLU strives to ensure that the scales of justice are fairly balanced.  Our goals are to:

• Ensure that all people have due process and equal access to justice regardless of race, ethnicity, or socioeconomic status.

• End policies that criminalize youth and poverty.

• Protect the fundamental rights of all those entangled in the criminal justice system.

What's Happening in Maine:

Legal Director Zachary Heiden served on a commission to consider reforms to Maine's presently inadequate system of providing legal services to indigent defendants.  The Commission, headed by Justice Robert Clifford of the Maine Supreme Judicial Court, proposed the creation of an independent system to oversee providing services in Maine.  The panel concluded that the system of indigent defense, and its funding, should be separated from the budget of the judicial branch.

The recommendations of the Commission were included in a bill that was passed in this year's session of the Legislature.

What's Happening Nationally:

The ACLU is working to reform the criminal justice system and make the promise of fair treatment a reality for all people.  Please follow the links to the right for more information.