ACLU of Southern California's Jails Project

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is the nation's foremost advocate of individual rights and equal justice, and leading guardian against unwarranted government interference and abuse. Since 1920, the mission of the ACLU has been to preserve the rights and freedoms guaranteed by the US Constitution and the Bill of Rights.

Today, the ACLU fights to defend the Constitution for each new generation - and to extend constitutional rights to groups that have traditionally been denied them. The ACLU is best known for our litigation efforts; many of our ground-breaking cases have changed lives and made history. We also work for change through public education, community activism, public policy analysis, and governmental lobbying.

The ACLU is a non-profit, non-partisan, private organization divided into 51 affiliates throughout the nation, with a national office headquarted in New York. The ACLU of Southern California (ACLU/SC) is one of the largest and most progressive affiliates. It is the court-ordered monitor of conditions and medical care within all Los Angeles County jail facilities. Through the Jails Project, the ACLU/SC works inside the county’s seven jails to ensure a basic standard of care is provided to inmates.