Denying the right to vote based on a citizen’s financial ability is the modern equivalent of a poll tax and violates the 14th Amendment, which prohibits the government from treating certain groups of people unfairly.

It’s unfortunate that our lawmakers aren’t willing to advance legislation that would prioritize people and not prisons and to help reform our state’s criminal justice system.

The ACLU of South Dakota opposes Senate Bill 6, Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg’s second attempt to modify presumptive probation.

The ACLU of South Dakota opposes the repeal of presumptive probation. Repealing presumptive probation would not benefit Sioux Falls or help combat addiction in the state.

Formerly incarcerated people are subject to punishments, exclusions and restrictions that impair their ability to live their lives unencumbered. Re-entry is a lifetime process, but it shouldn’t be.

While the statistics are important to identify trends in criminal activity and aid in crime prevention and enforcement efforts, the ACLU of South Dakota says the stats highlight the need for criminal justice reform.

Instead of using an enormous amount of taxpayer funds to prosecute and incarcerate drug users, the ACLU of South Dakota advocates supports the use of treatment and diversion whenever possible. South Dakota needs to invest in vital services such as addiction treatment and mental health resources.

South Dakota can cut incarceration in half and save millions of dollars by pursuing reforms to different areas of the criminal legal system, according to the ACLU of South Dakota’s newly released Blueprint for Smart Justice report.

While criminal statistics are important to identify trends in criminal activity and aid in crime prevention and enforcement efforts, the ACLU of South Dakota says the stats also highlight the need for criminal justice reform in South Dakota – particularly when it comes to drug-related offenses.