Research & Publications

Last week, Governor Kelly granted executive clemency to eight Kansans, including three ACLU of Kansas clients. This news came over a year after we started the Clemency Project.

Last year, the ACLU of Kansas launched the Clemency Project, and we’ve filed 108 applications for Clemency with Governor Kelly’s Office. Sharon Brett, Legal Director at the ACLU of Kansas, answers frequently asked questions about the project.

In 1997, the Supreme Court ruled in Reno v. ACLU that the federal Communications Decency Act (CDA) is an unconstitutional restriction on free speech. The landmark ruling affirmed the dangers of censoring what one judge called "the most participatory form of mass speech yet developed."

We're hiring for several position—join our team and fight with us for civil liberties in Kansas.

Ronald Pursley, 63, is slated for release on October 25, 2021. At the time of his application last year, he’d suffered from congestive heart failure and heart attack history, and his health has worsened since then. Despite these challenges, the warden last month denied his application for release.

The state of Kansas could find itself sued for violating the Sixth Amendment unless the current session of the legislature substantially beefs up inadequate funding for public defenders in the Sunflower State…

Joyce got a call from her incarcerated father, 63-year-old Ronald Pursley, on Saturday, May 8. He had fallen and broken six ribs. He was spitting blood, and the nurse had told him his old MRSA infection was back. Despite these challenges, the warden last month denied his application for release.