The ACLU of Kansas exhausts all possible options before pursuing litigation, which is a last resort. Writing open letters to public officials holds them accountable and can often resolve issues without getting the courts involved.
We write to request that the Kansas Supreme Court immediately stop the assessment and collection of all fees and fines imposed on youth in the juvenile legal system and their families, in response to the urgent need for economic relief due to the COVID-19 emergency.
We are writing to express our concerns about reports we have received that Allen County Jail has disparately excluded female residents from accessing opportunities with the inmate worker program based on their gender.
We have received reports that your department responded to the protest in riot gear, authorized officers to withhold their badge numbers and other identifying information, and targeted protest leaders with harassment and arrest.
These incarcerated individuals have expressed concerns about alleged harassment and retaliation from facility staff, including being classified as a gang and being prohibited from praying.
As Kansas manages the presence of COVID-19 within its borders, we hope that you will consider the ACLU of Kansas as a resource in your work to develop and implement a response plan that protects the health, safety, and civil liberties of all Kansans.
We urge you to immediately cease all enforcement of the city’s camping ordinance against houseless individuals, including the automatic seizure and destruction of personal property without due process of law.