University of Virginia Library

ACLU Sends Letter
On Student Jailing

The American Civil Liberties
Union has called upon universities
to readmit qualified students who
go to jail "rather than participate
in a war they feel is morally indefensible."

In a statement sent to 630 college
presidents the Union said to refuse
to readmit a student who prefers
imprisonment to military service
because his moral convictions
against the war are so deeply
rooted, is to "punish him twice
for the same offense and run(s)
counter to the spirit of a basic
principle of American justice embedded
in the Fifth Amendment
safeguard against double jeopardy."

The statement, prepared by
ACLU's Academic Freedom Committee,
after a review of the civil
liberties aspects of the problem,
was sent to the college presidents.

The text of the letter follows:

Dear President:

One of the urgent problems confronting
the academic community
today concerns the educational
future of students whose personal
moral imperatives compel them to
resist cooperation with the war
effort and Selective Service regulations.

The enclosed statement was
drawn up by the Academic
Freedom Committee of the American
Civil Liberties Union after a
thorough review of the civil liberties
aspects of the problem, particularly
with relation to the student
who has paid the penalty demanded
by society for violating the
law and seeks to return to school
to continue his education.

We hope you and members of
our administration will find this
statement of interest and value
in your own study of the situation
and that you will want to
share it with the faculty and student
groups on your campus which
may be reviewing problems relating
to war and the draft.

We shall be pleased to have
your comments.