Due Process Institute

After years of advocacy, collaboration, and innovation, Connecticut is celebrating a major milestone: more than 150,000 people have had their arrest and conviction records erased through the state’s Clean Slate law! fox61.com/article/news/l…

Congress is once again debating FISA Section 702, which allows surveillance authorities to collect Americans’ communications without a warrant. Congress must prioritize reforming these powers in order to protect due process and privacy rights. nytimes.com/article/sectio…

You can also learn more about the history of Sixth Amendment right to counsel Supreme Court cases and the fight for federal public defense funding here: idueprocess.org/blog/f/terms-a…

You can learn more about the crucial role public defenders play and how state governments still fall short in funding the right to counsel: idueprocess.org/blog/f/%E2%80%…

Today we celebrate Public Defense Day and the vital role public defenders play in upholding due process in the criminal legal system. #PublicDefenseDay

@UnifyUSOfficial @thedreamcorps @NACDL @PoliceForReform @CPAC @RSI @JusticeActionUS @FaithandFreedom @REFORM

Congress can’t responsibly oversee federal criminal law if it doesn’t know how many federal crimes exist. We led a bipartisan coalition urging Senate Judiciary to support the Count the Crimes to Cut Act as a commonsense step toward transparency in federal law. Our letter:

The illusion of silence Most believe that “Hey Siri” or “OK Google” only work when you say the phrase. The reality is different. To detect the keyword, the device has to constantly analyze sound in a low power mode. You cannot “wake up” if you are not listening first.

We joined 90+ organizations urging Congress to reject any extension of FISA Section 702 that lacks meaningful reforms. Warrantless backdoor searches and data purchases threaten privacy and civil liberties. Congress must enact real safeguards and not expand surveillance powers.

The matter at issue in FISA debates is not which surveillance activities the government will engage in, but just which ones Congress wants to put on stronger legal and political footing. Read about FISA's history and how it affects our privacy rights: clause40.org/blog/f/why-fis…

Crime fell again in 2025 and new data shows the decline is part of a broader downward trend following the pandemic-era spike. Read our latest blog about what the numbers actually show and why the long-term trend matters for policy: idueprocess.org/blog/f/the-dro…

AAJ recently joined @CatoInstitute, @Public_Justice and @iDueProcess in filing an amicus brief in Smith v. Kind.

“The reforms included are responsible + necessary to ensure that intelligence tools aimed at foreign threats are not used to sidestep Fourth Amendment rights of Americans.” - Vice President @pye on the introduction of the Government Surveillance Reform Act wyden.senate.gov/news/press-rel…

Iran WPRs and DHS Appropriations in House and Senate, Balanced Budget Amendment Will Get a Vote in the House Read this week's Point of Order: dueprocess.substack.com/p/iran-wprs-an…

🤩Great hosting this month’s national Clean Slate coalition meeting! 💪Energizing to gather advocates + experts in person and strategize how to keep building momentum for state + federal second-chance legislation

When someone takes responsibility for their actions and makes genuine efforts to rehabilitate after an offense — by working, seeking treatment, supporting their family, or repairing harm — that should matter. The U.S. Sentencing Commission’s proposal is a commonsense step toward a system that rewards responsibility and protects the public. washingtonreporter.news/exclusive-bipa…

Congress currently cannot answer a basic institutional question: How many criminal offenses has it actually created? Read how Congress can find the answer and why it is crucial to better policymaking and reigning in overcriminalization: idueprocess.org/blog/f/congres…

What happens when “public safety” is used to justify unchecked power? @janosmarton talks with @pye of the @idueprocess for a candid conversation on why fear-based policy won't make communities safer: open.spotify.com/episode/3170wg…

To protect Americans’ privacy, Congress must close the backdoor search loophole, ban warrantless data purchases, and rein in overbroad surveillance authorities. Read our letter with @CenDemTech + others urging Senate Judiciary to enact meaningful FISA Section 702 reforms:

Happy Founder's Day! 🎉🥳 We also share our birthday with our Founder + President @ShanaOtoole so here's to another year of fighting for bipartisan criminal legal reform!