News & Commentary

A Superior Court judge this morning rejected a motion to dismiss a lawsuit by the ACLU of Rhode Island regarding the state's medical marijuana program.

Calling the findings of the Rhode Island State Police (RISP) investigation into the Cranston Police Department likely the “tip of an iceberg,” the ACLU of Rhode Island urged the Cranston City Council to call for further investigations into police practices and possible abuses of power against individuals outside the department.

By Megan Khatchadourian, Assistant to the Executive Director

By Johanna Kaiser, Development & Communications Associate

By Hillary Davis, Policy Associate

By Johanna Kaiser, Communications & Development Associate

The R.I. Medical Society, the ACLU of Rhode Island, and Protect Families First issued the following statements today in response to the General Assembly’s failure to pass legislation that would continue to provide Good Samaritan protection to individuals calling 911 in overdose emergencies:

Many of us will never personally understand the struggles of being part of this country’s penal system. Sure, we’ve all read stories about those who have been and presently are incarcerated around this country and the world, for that matter. It’s not a place anyone truly wants to be -- now imagine being there without the ability to communicate with those around you. This is life for the unknown number of deaf and deaf-blind inmates currently incarcerated.

As Governor Gina Raimondo and top state health officials gather later this morning to discuss responding to Rhode Island’s drug overdose epidemic, medical professionals and public health experts are asking them to throw their support behind a Senate bill pending in the General Assembly that would expand the legal immunity available to people who call 911 when they are witnessing or experiencing a drug overdose.