Resources for Model Legislation

Model Legislation

Model legislation placing limits on local law enforcement

Model legislation enabling torture accountability

Toolkit

Toolkit for organizing an ordinance effort

Talking Points

Talking about Torture Accountablity

Talking about Local Surveillance and Immigration Enforcement

Other Organizing Opportunities

Legislation introduced in the North Carolina House of Representatives, crafted by NC Stop Torture Now, to authorize a commission to criminalize torture and rendition; this type legislation is an excellent option for activists in communities unwilling to consider stronger remedies for torture.

Protests in Minneapolis, MN offer an excellent model for how to respond when an official complicit in torture has a speaking engagement in your area.

Commentary and Analysis

Torture Accountability

"Government Fights To Thwart New Torture Photo Scandal" by Heather Marlowe, People's Campaign for the Constitution Blog, October 14, 2009

"Losing Wars We Already Won (Part I): Torture vs. WWII" by Shahid Buttar, Huffington Post, August 26, 2009

"Torturing the Rule of Law" by Shahid Buttar, Huffington Post, July 1, 2009

Local Law Enforcement, Surveillance, Racial Profiling, and Immigration

"Big-City Police Chiefs Urge Overhaul of Immigration Policy" by Damien Cave, New York Times, July 1, 2009

Testimony of Richard Wiles, Sheriff of El Paso, TX, to U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary at the "Securing the Borders and America's Points of Entry, What Remains to Be Done" Hearing, May 20, 2009

"The Role of Local Police: Striking a Balance Between Immigration Enforcement and Civil Liberties" by the Police Foundation, published April 2009

Multimedia

Tortured Law, a 10-minute documentary by Alliance for Justice about the government lawyers who authorized torture

Torturing Democracy, a 90-minute documentary, produced by Washington Media Associates and the National Security Archive, about America's torture policies

Other Resources

PR Tips from David Swanson

Social network activism and the Patriot Act by Jon Pincus