Criminal Legal Reform

Each year, Idahoans report civil liberties violations to the ACLU of Idaho. Year after year, one thing remains the same: over half of the civil liberties violations we learn about are the result of our state’s broken criminal legal system.

An image showing the U.S. Constitution, a gavel, gold handcuffs, and red barbed wire.

We know all Idahoans deserve equal access to their constitutional rights, including the right to an attorney, the right to access medical care, and the right to be free from cruel and unusual punishment. Our criminal legal advocacy is rooted in the simple fact that being accused or convicted of a crime should never mean restricted or reduced access to these rights.

Our Criminal Legal Reform Work

The ACLU of Idaho advocates for the constitutional civil rights of those impacted by the criminal legal system by:

  • Working in the courts to protect, defend, and expand the constitutional and civil rights of defendants and incarcerated people.
  • Advocating strategically in the legislature to fight policies that contribute to over-criminalization and mass incarceration, and to support reform policies that advance the rights, freedoms, and dignity of those impacted by the system.
  • Empowering defendants, prisoners, and folks with convictions to know and exercise their rights, including the right to due process, human conditions of confinement, medical care, and voting.
  • Amplifying the voices and lived experiences of those impacted by Idaho's criminal legal system, with the goal of increasing public awareness of the harms, dangers, and injustices within the system.
Image of a generic, empty courtroom with wood tones.

Defending Idahoans’ Right to an Attorney

Idahoans’ constitutional right to an attorney continues to be undermined, despite our decade-long fight for equal access to legal counsel. In 2015, we filed a lawsuit against the State of Idaho over its defective public defense system. Today, the state’s reckless handling of Idaho’s public defense crisis continues to hurt Idaho families.

Learn more about our public defense work
Large fence with barb wire at the top, often seen surrounding prisons.

Defending Idahoans’ Rights in Prison

Day after day, the constitutional rights of Idaho’s incarcerated community are ignored. We consistently receive reports of inadequate or inaccessible health care, poor living conditions, and lack of access to the courts. Through advocacy, lawsuits, and public education, we are fighting for the safety and dignity of a community often forgotten by the outside world.

Learn more about our prisoner’s rights work
Read Our Blueprint for Smart Justice

Other Organizations Fighting for Criminal Justice Reform in Idaho

  • Black and Pink - Fighting for LGBTQIA2S+ people and those living with HIV/AIDS who are affected by the criminal legal system.

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The Latest

Know Your Rights
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Your Rights as a Prisoner

Learn more about your rights as a prisoner, including your right to be protected against discrimination and abuse in prison, and what to do if your rights are violated.
Resource
A worn American flag is covered by barb wire outside a prison

2025 Legislative Session: Criminal Justice

Press Release
Wooden gavel

ACLU files emergency motion asking court to intervene in State Public Defender disaster

The ACLU filed an emergency motion with the Idaho Supreme Court in the Tucker v. State of Idaho class action.
Issue Areas: Criminal Legal Reform, Public Defense Reform
Press Release
Empty lethal injection execution chamber with injection table and podium

ACLU of Idaho Statement on Failed Killing of Thomas Creech

This morning, the state of Idaho failed to complete the execution of Thomas Creech, a man who has been on death row for 50 years. The ACLU of Idaho condemns the death penalty and calls on state authorities to commute Thomas Creech’s case to life in prison. Read the full statement.
Issue Areas: Prisoners' Rights, Criminal Legal Reform
Court Case
Nov 07, 2024

Robinson v. Labrador

Protecting access to gender-affirming medical care in Idaho prisons.
Court Case
Jun 17, 2015

Tucker v. State of Idaho

Defending Idahoans' right to a constitutional public defense system.
Court Case
Sep 22, 2020

Doe v. Wasden

Challenging archaic anti-LGBTQ Idaho state law.
Court Case
Feb 27, 2018

Cover v. Idaho Board of Correction

Demanding government transparency and sunshine on Idaho's execution practices.