NACDL frequently writes to members of Congress, the Department of Justice, and the president on fourth amendment issues. These letters have been collected and are available for download by clicking on the titles below.

NACDL advocated for legislation to increase police transparency and accountability and to prevent excessive force.

This conversation examines the ways in which the chattel slavery system of America’s early history manifests itself in the variety of ways in which Black people are literally and symbolically policed today.

NACDL supports the videotaping of all law enforcement interrogations from beginning to end and calls upon Congress and state legislatures to pass legislation mandating this practice.

20^th Annual State Criminal Justice Network Conference
August 18-20, 2021 | Held Virtually

Police departments across the country are increasing using predictive algorithms to decide where to patrol and who to investigate. These tools are also being used to create databases that label people as threats and feed them into the criminal legal system.

20^th Annual State Criminal Justice Network Conference
August 18-20, 2021 | Held Virtually

This panel highlights policing reforms adopted over the last year and what still needs to be done.

NACDL's 19th Annual State Criminal Justice Network Conference
August 17-19, 2020 | Held Virtually
Policing in America: Policing the Police

NACDL opposes the use of data-driven policing technologies, predictive crime models, and any other system that subjects individuals to increased police surveillance. These tools perpetuate the racial profiling & hyper-criminalization of communities of color & historically overpoliced groups. Understanding this technology is already in use in many communities, NACDL also supports the adoption of policies governing transparency & accountability that detail the conditions of use by law enforcement & accessibility to all relevant information for defense lawyers whose cases involve such tools.

There are few aspects of police work more important than questioning arrested suspects in felony investigations. To a large extent, our criminal justice system depends upon the accuracy of how the results are reported including all statements, physical actions, facial expressions, and tones of voice of individuals under interrogation.

The state map has been updated to feature the most current information on pending/enacted legislation and case law in each state, and the full compendium can be downloaded below.

Holding Law Enforcement Accountable by Expediting the Review of Body-Camera Footage, Jail Calls, and Other Digital Discovery presented by Devshi Mehrotra, CEO and co-founder, JusticeText; and Jonathan Cable, Oregon defense attorney

Racially biased policing takes many different forms, from elevated police presences in the neighborhoods of marginalized communities, to disproportionate street and vehicle stops and searches, to use of force, to outright expressions of racism within some police departments.

Friend of the Court Lisa Kemler

How Data-Driven Policing Technologies Entrench Historic Racism and 'Tech-Wash' Bias in the Criminal Legal System

This NACDL Predicative Policing Task Force Report (1) calls attention to the rapid development and deployment of data-driven policing; (2) situates data-driven policing within the racialized historical context of policing and the criminal legal system; (3) makes actionable recommendations that respond to the reality, enormity, and impact of data-driven policing; and (4) suggests strategies for defense lawyers in places where data-driven policing technology is employed.

The Long Shadow of the Trial Penalty

Thanks to the trial penalty, criminal trials no longer offer sufficient opportunities for the community to evaluate the conduct of the police during citizen-officer encounters. Police and prosecutors can effectively coerce guilty pleas thereby obscuring, even deliberately shielding, unlawful police conduct from public exposure and review by the courts.

NACDL supported legislation to require recording of certain custodial interrogations in Nevada.