Essay Sample on Criminal Justice Reform: An Overview of the ACLU's Efforts

Introduction

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is a nonprofit organization based in the United States that seeks to enhance and respect an individual's rights. Some of the issues addressed by ACLU include women's rights, voting rights, national security, capital punishment, criminal law reforms, as well as disability rights. The paper focuses on criminal law reforms.

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The criminal justice reform in the US focuses on fixing some of the perceived gaps within the justice system. Some of the issues addressed by the criminal law reform include information sharing and the justice system, fear, and violence in communities, community-police relations, as well as drug law reforms (Donohue 13). The criminal law reforms are essential in the United States because they have been proven to help the country in various ways, such as reducing recidivism, increasing future employment for individuals, as well as saving taxpayer expenditures. The criminal law reforms focus on the criminal legal system that starts from policing to sentencing. Besides, the changes seek to end excessive harsh policies for criminal justice. The reforms focus on developing a more understanding mechanism of dealing with lawbreakers in a manner that rectifies their behaviors. Also, the reforms seek to change the bureaucracies of punishing lawbreakers by reversing the tides of eliminating racism and increasing government transparency. The criminal law reforms also aim at delivering justice for all people by convicting and punishing the guilty and helping them to stop crime. In addition, criminal law reforms also seek to protect innocent people. The criminal law reforms focus on the criminal legal system that starts from policing to sentencing. The criminal law reforms are part of the objective of ACLU and aim at administering justice to criminals. Besides the administration of justice, the law reforms focus on other goals such as rehabilitation of criminals, offering moral support for victims, as well as preventing the occurrence of another crime (Donohue 17).

The position of ACLU on criminal law reforms is that marginalized populations should be protected. Besides, the ACLU'S position on criminal law reforms is that people should be protected from abuse and corruption by the United States government. ACLU holds the position that the United States should develop a criminal justice system that is not only punitive but also one that focuses on rehabilitating criminals to avoid crimes in the future (Donohue 23). For the United States to achieve the goals of the criminal law reforms, ACLU holds the position that police practices should be reformed. In addition, the ACLU holds the position that drug laws should be changed as well as providing competent counsel in order to achieve the objectives of criminal law reforms.

From the objectives and actions taken by ACLU, I believe that the organization is on the right side of the issue. The majority of the American citizens are optimistic and embrace the reforms and thus making it possible to attain the goals. ACLU seeks to end historical injustices in the past, and therefore I think that it is on the right side of the issue. Once the objectives of criminal law reforms have been achieved, the crime rate will decrease, and therefore, I firmly believe that ACLU is on the right side of the issue.

Conclusion

The criminal justice reform in the US focuses on fixing some of the mistakes within the justice system. Some of the issues addressed by the criminal law reform include information sharing and the justice system, fear, and violence in communities, community-police relations, as well as drug law reforms. ACLU'S position on criminal law reforms is that people should be protected from abuse and corruption by the United States government. I, therefore, believe that the organization is on the right side of the issue.

Work Cited

Donohue, William A. The Politics of the American Civil Liberties Union. Routledge, 2017.