Civil & Community Rights

Below you will find a library of guidances issued by the Office of the Attorney General pertaining to civil & community rights.

Civil Division

• Guidance to Rhode Island Local Education Agencies, School Administrators and Educators: The Office of the Attorney General and the Rhode Island Department of Education are jointly issuing this Guidance to help school officials form practical plans and policies to protect the rights of immigrant students and their families to a safe and secure educational environment.
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  • Spanish
• Lead Guidance for Landlords with Properties in Rhode Island: This guidance provides landlords with a practical overview of the package of bills passed in the 2023 legislative session to address lead poisoning and promote healthy housing and provides answers to frequently asked questions.
• Guidance for Law Enforcement Officials: Reporting Hate Crimes: This guidance advises on the steps for law enforcement officers to report hate crimes to ensure that our community and law enforcement are aligned in the shared goal of reducing crime targeted at minorities and other vulnerable groups.
• Know Your Rights: Rhode Island Elections: This guidance explains your rights as a voter and shared important resources prior to Election Day.
  • English
  • Spanish
• Guidance for Renters and Property Owners: Source of Income Discrimination: This guidance advises residents and property owners on their rights and legal obligations regarding the use of public assistance programs for rent relief.
• Concealed Carry Permit Guidance: This guidance advises that Rhode Island’s concealed-carry permitting scheme is constitutional and unimpacted by the Supreme Court’s Bruen decision.

Criminal Division

• Guidance for Law Enforcement Officials: Hate Crimes and Civil Rights Violations: This guidance advises law enforcement officials on ensuring an effective response to hate crimes and civil rights violations to address misconduct motivated by bigotry or hatred of protected groups and improve policing in our State.
• Guidance for Law Enforcement Officials: Landlord-Tenant Disputes and Law Enforcement: This guidance advises law enforcement officials on the landlord-tenant complaints that are most likely to call for police action, especially in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Protocol for the Review of Incidents Involving the Use of Deadly Force, Excessive Force and Custodial Deaths: This Protocol updates and expands upon the Attorney General’s Protocol Regarding The Review Of Incidents Involving The Use of Deadly Force and Custodial Death (last revised in 2007). It is designed to promote greater uniformity, accountability and impartiality in the investigation of police use-of-force incidents where deadly force was employed, where there has been an allegation of excessive use of force by police, and where a custodial death occurs.