This training program will aid those working to defend persons accused of homicide in drug-related overdose deaths. Each section of the program focuses on a different aspect of these cases. CLE is not available for this program.

While often justified as a way to deter violence inside facilities, solitary confinement is more often used to punish non-violent transgressions such as dress code violations, refusal to work, or lack of respect toward correctional officials. Despite the failure of the U.S. Supreme Court to find that solitary confinement per se violates the Eighth Amendment, increasing numbers of stakeholders, including correctional officers, have called for its abolition.

Brief of Amici Curiae American Civil Liberties Union, American Civil Liberties Union of Texas, Cato Institute, Due Process Institute, FAMM, and National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers in Support of Petitioners.

Brief for Amicus Curiae the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers in Support of Petitioner

I write to you today to urge you to grant clemency to Leonard Peltier, an 80-year-old member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa and boarding school survivor who has spent nearly five decades in federal prison. His case has become a symbol of hope and resilience in the face of systemic injustices. Indeed, Mr. Peltier is an icon of the American Indian Movement who has devoted his life to fighting for the liberation of Indigenous Peoples.

Brief of Amici Curiae Due Process Institute and National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers in Support of Petitioner-Appellant and Supporting Reversal

The federal gang enhancement follows the Sentencing Commission’s tradition of increasing sentences without critical and empirical examination of an enhancement’s impact. However, all hope is not lost. Even if the client has been convicted of a subject offense, is the client “affiliated with” a gang, cartel, or organized crime ring, and did the client commit the crime “in connection with” the organization? Juval Scott provides strategies to challenge the enhancement.

For many, the only path to freedom, and the medical care that comes with it, is compassionate release.

This month Teresa J. Sopp reviews Justice Pursued: The Exoneration of Nathan Myers and Clifford Williams by Bruce Horovitz and Dear Sister: A Memoir of Secrets, Survival and Unbreakable Bonds by Michelle Horton.

This month Jon M. Sands reviews When Crack Was King: A People’s History of a Misunderstood Era by Donovan X. Ramsey.

This month Amelie Gonzalez and Jacqueline Goodman review Correction: Parole, Prison, and the Possibility of Change by Ben Austen.

Age Matters: Strategies for Representing Juveniles in Adult Court

Pre- and post-trial custody can have a tremendous effect on a teenager's development, physical and mental health, and likelihood of offending in the future. In this webinar, we address strategies for obtaining pre-trial release, avoiding placement of a teen in adult jail, incorporating psychological and social scientific evidence into sentencing proceedings, and post-sentencing advocacy.

To help defenders understand the law, the science, and the messaging underlying these prosecutions, NACDL is offering a FREE, on-demand training videos on Defending Drug Overdose Homicides.

Funded by a grant from Vital Strategies, a public health organization committed to building community oriented, science-backed solutions which promote a sustained reduction in overdose deaths, this on-demand training content is designed to educate and empower defenders to tackle these challenging and difficult cases.

Meet Marcel Johnson

Written Statement of Steven D. Benjamin, President National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers Before the House Committee on the Judiciary Over-Criminalization Task Force Re: “Defining the Problem and Scope of Over-criminalization and Over-federalization”