News & Commentary

On October 10th, 2025, a coalition of advocate organizations including the ACLU of Kansas sent a letter to Sedgwick County District Attorney Marc Bennett concerning pretrial detention. This practice, which should be used only when neccessary, has become the default, subverting the presumption of innoncence at the heart of our criminal legal system and creating a two-tiered system where those who have money can buy their freedom, while those who cannot are left in jail—and often face life-altering consequences as a result. This letter asked DA Bennett to use his discretion to reduce the number of people detained pretrial to help reduce the harm of our broken bail system.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas and several Wichita organizations are urging the Sedgwick County Court System to change its bail practices, saying the current system unfairly impacts people living in poverty.

In early July, the ACLU of Kansas called for the “immediate release” of the body camera footage from the June 22 shooting. The release, the nonprofit said, would allow for transparency and accountability.

A new ACLU study reveals how cash bail policies in Sedgwick County disproportionately impact low-income families, fueling a contentious statewide and national conversation about crime, justice, and economic inequality.

The Kansas ACLU is calling for the release of inmates facing nonviolent charges without having to pay bail.

In a recent study, the American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas asks people to imagine a Wichita-area husband and wife raising a daughter who are living paycheck to paycheck.

The study by the ACLU of Kansas found a majority of the Wichita-area inmates were booked for nonviolent crimes and the bail policy unfairly affects low-income people who cannot afford release.

A June 2025 report by the American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas is shining a light on the bail system in Sedgwick County.

However, private prison companies such as CoreCivic and The GeoGroup have announced contracts to operate detention centers in places including Leavenworth, Kansas, where the shuttered Midwest Regional Reception Center could be part of growing ICE’s migrant detention holdings, according to public records obtained by the American Civil Liberties Union.