Opposing the shackling of incarcerated prisoners
Iowa women continue to be shackled during pregnancy and even during labor. We are working to end this barbaric practice, which puts both the health of the mother and the baby at risk.
Outrageously low pay for incarcerated people
We documented that people in Iowa prisons earn as little as 28 cents an hour. It's part of our state's long, problematic history of using incarcerated workers as cheap labor to subsidize the costs of our bloated prison system.
Ensured COVID-19 protections for incarcerated people
We teamed up with other organizations to urge the early release of low-risk prisoners during the COVID pandemic. We also filed FOIA requests with Gov. Kim Reynolds and the Iowa Department of Corrections to make public how they handled the crisis in Iowa prisons.
Challenging juvenile life without parole
We support more fair sentencing and parole procedures for all juveniles—but especially those sentenced to life.
Fighting to end mass incarceration
We believe mass incarceration must end. Conditions in Iowa's overcrowded jails and prisons threaten people’s health, safety, and human dignity. This harmful phenomenon also damages communities, with a huge human and financial cost.
Advocating for transgender prisoners’ rights
In 2015, we filed a complaint against an Iowa hotel for discriminating against Meagan Taylor, a Black transgender woman, based on her gender identity and race. After her arrest, she was held for eight days in the Polk County Jail. The jail had no policy for transgender inmates.
