News & Commentary
Jun 11, 2019
Three Campaigns to Create a More Just Mountain State
Today, the American Civil Liberties Union of WV is unveiling three campaigns to guide our work for the next decade. With these campaigns, we aim to fundamentally change West Virginia.
Dec 15, 2015
Juvenile Justice Victory
This past summer, the WV Department of Health and Human Resources (DHHR) fast-tracked a private, for-profit "Dazzy Vance Mountain Retreat," a 70-bed warehouse for children with mental health needs, ages 4 to 21. Thanks to your support, DHHR is pulling away from Dazzy Vance.
Dec 14, 2015
Invest In Community Services, Not Warehousing Kids
My son was placed in an out-of-home youth facility for petty vandalism and his time there nearly ruined his life.
Nov 16, 2015
Legislature to Review Construction of Youth Incarceration Facility
At 1 p.m. today, Monday, November 16, the ACLU of West Virginia will be heading to the legislature for a hearing on the proposed youth facility in Logan: one of three new state-funded and privately operated out-of-home facilities for youth with mental and behavioral health needs.
Sep 09, 2015
Institutionalizing Youth Is Not The Answer
West Virginia took important first steps last year reforming our state’s broken juvenile justice system. With overwhelming support from the state Legislature, we were able to reform harmful truancy laws that locked kids up after missing just five days of school. And the Governor’s lauded omnibus juvenile justice reform bill passed that put the focus on serving kids within their communities instead of unnecessarily locking them up.
Jul 27, 2015
Juvenile Justice Reinvestment Workshop
ACLU-WV and our supporters worked tirelessly this past year with the West Virginia Legislature and the Governor to pass sweeping changes to help fix our state's broken juvenile justice system.
Jun 10, 2015
Truancy Reform Is Just The Beginning
West Virginia takes meaningful first steps in reforming our state’s broken juvenile justice system as House Bill 2550 takes effect today. Yet to create lasting change we must fund community-based alternatives to incarceration in the Mountain State. As a result of passage of truancy reform and the Governor's Juvenile Justice bill, the predicted $20 million dollars in savings that the state will realize by locking up fewer youth for low-level or first time offenses should be reinvested into programs that have a proven record of reducing child poverty and keeping kids out of the criminal justice system.
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