NAACP Legal Defense Fund : Defend, Educate, Empower

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Criminal Justice

LDF has always recognized that ensuring that our nation’s criminal justice laws and policies are administered fairly and without regard to race is central to the struggle for civil rights. Because the criminal justice system remains riddled with racial bias and disproportionality, LDF’s Criminal Justice Practice uses litigation, advocacy, and public education to eliminate the improper role of race in the criminal justice system and stands at the forefront of this effort.

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Power In Numbers

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African-American firefighters Chicago will hire to remedy its discriminatory employment practices. Find Out More

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Program Work

Abuse of Police Discretion

Davis v. City of New York

Are residents of public housing in New York City entitled to be free from police harassment in their homes just like other New Yorkers?  Can they be stopped or arrested without regard for their rights?  Has NYC criminalized traveling home or visiting a friend while black or brown?...

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Capital Punishment

Reams v. Arkansas

Kenneth Reams’ case epitomizes the injustices associated with the administration of the death penalty in the South.  Mr. Reams, who is African-American, was convicted of capital murder and sentenced to death for the killing of a white man during the course of an ATM robbery in Pine...

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Juvenile Life Without Parole

Juvenile Life Without Parole

In May of 2008, The NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund (LDF) released, "No Chance to Make it Right: Life Without Parole for Juvenile Offenders in Mississippi." This groundbreaking report examines the racial, social, political, and economic circumstances surrounding juvenile life without...

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