Allen Hopper

Staff

Allen Hopper

Criminal Justice and Drug Policy Director

Bio

In his role directing the ACLU of California’s Criminal Justice and Drug Policy (CJDP) Project, Allen Hopper develops and implements strategies to change California’s approach to crime and punishment.

Specific areas of focus include down-sizing California jails and prisons, criminal justice realignment, medical marijuana implementation issues, and drug law reform.

Allen recently served as a Senior Legal and Strategic Advisor to the successful campaign in favor of Proposition 47, a groundbreaking California ballot initiative to end felony punishment for low level drug possession and theft crimes.

[Can you insert a sentence or two here about your other victories or high-level projects you’ve been proud of while at the ACLU of CA – in addition to Prop 47?]

Prior to moving to the California ACLU, Allen was the Litigation Director of the National ACLU’s Drug Law Reform Project. He has been quoted extensively in the national news media on criminal justice and marijuana law reform topics. He has litigated these issues in federal and state courts, including, among others, the case defeating San Diego County’s challenge to California's medical marijuana laws.

Mr. Hopper received his B.A. in 1988 from New College of Florida, and his J.D. from the University of California, Davis, School of Law in 1992, where he was the recipient of the Martin Luther King, Jr., Award for Public Service.

Featured Work

News & Commentary
We did it - Prop 47 passes!
  • Criminal Law Reform

Prop 47, Fear-Based Politics, and the Mandate for Sentencing Reform

Californians want smart criminal justice strategies and recognize that longer sentences, especially for low-level, nonviolent crimes, have not made our communities any safer. The question is whether our political leaders in Sacramento are listening.
News & Commentary
San Quentin State Prison photo via telmo32 / flickr
  • Criminal Law Reform

Brown Administration Finally Agrees to More Comprehensive Criminal Justice Reform

Today’s order from the three-judge panel overseeing the standing federal court order to reduce the state’s prison population to 137.5 percent of capacity gives the state an additional two year extension to comply, and Plaintiffs’ attorneys’ are justifiably concerned about ongoing constitutional violations inside the prisons due to the continued overcrowding.