Current investigations

Labor rights in the U.S.

"Don't ask, don't tell": gays and lesbians in the military

Male prisoner rape

Supermaximum security prisons

The death penalty

The United States has long regarded itself a beacon of human rights, as evidenced by an enlightened constitution, judicial independence, and a civil society grounded in strong traditions of free speech and press freedom.

The reality is more complex: for decades, civil rights and civil liberties groups have exposed constitutional violations and challenged abusive policies and practices. In recent years international human rights monitors have also documented serious gaps in U.S. protections of the human rights of vulnerable groups. Both federal and state governments have nonetheless resisted applying at home the human rights standards the U.S. applies abroad.

During the past several years, Human Rights Watch has stepped up its investigations and advocacy on abuses in the United States. Reports on sexual abuse of women prisoners, mistreatment of immigrants in detention, police brutality, and the racial impact of felony disenfranchisement laws have all been published within the last year. Through proposed legislation, media attention, and coordination with local rights groups, Human Rights Watch has continued its advocacy efforts to reform abusive practices and to hold abusers accountable.