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MacArthur Justice Center’s Statement on President Biden’s Federal Death Penalty Commutations

We welcome the fulfillment of President Biden’s promise to commute the death sentences of 37 people on federal death row. The federal death penalty – just like state capital punishment systems – is racist, error-prone, drains public resources, and does not deter crime or make our communities safer. We encourage President Biden to finish the...

Advocates Sue Missouri Department of Mental Health for Failing to Treat Pretrial Detainees Living with Mental Illness and Disabilities

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Today, the MacArthur Justice Center, alongside ArchCity Defenders and the ACLU of Missouri filed a class action lawsuit against the Missouri Department of Mental Health (DMH) for failing its legal duties to provide adequate treatment to people living with serious mental illness and disabilities during pretrial detainment after having been deemed...

Federal Court Asked to Address Inhumane Conditions Experienced by Those Held at Broadview ICE Facility

“By blocking access to detainees inside Broadview, Defendants have created a black box in which to disappear people from the U.S. court and immigration systems.” CHICAGO, IL — An emergency class action lawsuit on behalf of individuals who are being denied their right to access counsel and subject to inhumane and unlawful conditions while at...

The Rights of Incarcerated People to Challenge Their Detention Must Be Protected

Washington, D.C.— Today, the MacArthur Justice Center’s Greg Cui joined co-counsel Andrew Adler and Janice Bergmann from the Federal Public Defender’s Office at the Supreme Court, where Mr. Adler argued on behalf of our client, Michael Bowe. The Federal Public Defender’s Office and the MacArthur Justice Center are fighting to ensure that courts do not...

“Journey to Justice” Bus Tour Stops in Chicago to Expose the Harms of Solitary Confinement

Chicago, IL — The Unlock the Box Campaign and Look2Justice have launched a first-of-its-kind national bus tour and grassroots mobilization effort to expose the brutal realities of solitary confinement in immigration detention as well as federal, state, and local prisons, jails, and juvenile detention centers. The “Journey to Justice” bus tour will...

Cook County Circuit Court Chief Judge Called on to End Unwarranted Court Arrests

The Law Office of the Cook County Public Defender and 13 criminal and civil legal aid and social services organizations, including nine specializing in serving survivors of domestic and sexual violence, formally petitioned the court today. Chicago, IL – Today, the MacArthur Justice Center, on behalf of 13 legal services organizations in Cook County, including...

Settlement in Landmark Solitary Confinement and HIV Discrimination Case Against Missouri Department of Corrections

Jefferson City, MO —Today, Lambda Legal, the MacArthur Justice Center, and law firm Shook, Hardy & Bacon announced a settlement in Monroe, Administratrix of the Estate of Honesty Bishop v. Foley, et. al., a federal lawsuit alleging that a discriminatory Missouri Department of Corrections’ (“MODOC”) policy resulted in the prolonged use of solitary confinement against...

Chicago Agrees to Settle Lawsuit Challenging its Use of ShotSpotter

CHICAGO, IL —Today, a settlement was reached in a long-running lawsuit that challenged the City of Chicago’s use of ShotSpotter for violating people’s constitutional and civil rights. As part of the settlement, the City agreed that a ShotSpotter alert does not give police justification to stop or pat down a person who happens to be...

MacArthur Justice Center Names David Shapiro as its Next Executive Director

Seasoned Litigator and Nonprofit Executive to Lead the 40-Year-Old Organization’s Next Chapter as its Third Executive Director Chicago, IL — The MacArthur Justice Center (MJC), a national, nonprofit law firm devoted to combatting and redressing injustices in the criminal legal system, is pleased to announce the appointment of David Shapiro as its next Executive Director,...

MacArthur Justice Center Files Case Advocating for Protections on Behalf of At-Risk Inmates Exposed to Brutal Heat at Algoa Correctional Center in Missouri

ST. LOUIS — The MacArthur Justice Center has filed a case on behalf of individuals housed in Algoa Correctional Center in Missouri – a nearly 100-year-old prison without air conditioning – ahead of another historically hot summer where the heat index is predicted to rise up to 100-120 degrees, asserting the excessive heat prisoners are...

De Facto Book Ban in Missouri Prisons Violates First Amendment Rights Says Washington University First Amendment Clinic and MacArthur Justice Center

ST. LOUIS — Citing a violation of the First Amendment, the First Amendment Clinic at Washington University in St. Louis School of Law, with the support of Roderick & Solange MacArthur Justice Center, has filed suit to overturn a de facto book ban in Missouri prisons. In late 2023, the Missouri Department of Corrections (MoDOC)...