The Campaign for Smart Justice

The United States has the shameful distinction of being the world’s leading jailer, keeping more people behind bars than any other nation on earth. Our Campaign for Smart Justice aims to cut the U.S. jail and prison population in half and ensure that people are not treated differently based on the color of their skin or the size of their bank account.

In North Carolina and across the country, this epidemic of mass incarceration has exacted a devastating toll: ruining lives, dividing families, targeting people of color, wasting taxpayer dollars, all while doing nothing to make our communities safer.

To combat these injustices, the ACLU of North Carolina is joining ACLU affiliates across the country in an unprecedented, nationwide effort to overhaul our broken criminal justice system and implement a new vision for justice in America.

In North Carolina, the reality is that too many people are in jail, for too long, for one simple reason: because they are poor.The ACLU is working to end two major injustices in our state's criminal justice system: the for-profit bail system and mandatory court fines and fees. Learn more about our Campaign for Smart Justice.