FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The National Political Prisoner Coalition announces the U.S. Political Repression Clock, a special report set for publication on October 31. The clock uses a time before midnight to express an editorial assessment of political repression and the strength of civil liberties protections in the United States.
Inspired by the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists’ Doomsday Clock, the project asks how readily authorities can punish dissent through prosecution, detention, or imprisonment, and how effectively people can challenge those actions. The assessment considers the reach of the crackdown, the severity of its consequences, and the practical availability of judicial review. The readings are symbolic editorial judgments.
The report pairs a timeline of selected milestones since 1950 with a separate set of historical clocks. Episodes such as Cherokee forced removal, the Palmer Raids, and the mass incarceration of Japanese Americans show how authorities have used different powers to target groups and curtail civil liberties.
Read the U.S. Political Repression Clock special report.
