The ACLU of Connecticut spoke out in support of liberty, justice, and equality during the 2016 legislative session. In the end, the legislature passed--and Governor Malloy signed--seven new bills into law. These new laws to advance civil liberties would: spearhead a study to improve police training; prevent the state from detaining juveniles for more than seven days without a hearing and require closure of two juvenile detention facilities; require the Department of Correction to create a plan to reduce negative mental health effects on youth in correctional facilities; create fair chances at employment for people with criminal records; add protections for religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity or expression for people who serve in Connecticut's military departments, such as the National Guard; protect student privacy by preventing people from tracking students' data and limiting how school-contracted groups can collect or share students' information; and increase cellphone privacy protections.
![2016 ACLU of Connecticut legislative wrap-up. Bills passed include: police training, juvenile justice reform, fair chance employment / ban the box, LGBT and women's equality in Connecticut military, student privacy, cellphone privacy](https://www.acluct.org/sites/default/files/styles/content_area_full_width/public/wysiwyg/7-bills-for-freedom-justice-equality.jpg?itok=F7nVcNyU)