Legal Assistance to Minnesota Prisoners (LAMP) provides civil representation to indigent persons incarcerated in Minnesota. Students at the Mitchell Hamline School of Law represent clients from interviews through any trial. Cases include domestic relations, imprisonment-related matters (institutional grievances, parole, and detainers), and the full range of other civil problems including debtor-creditor, wills, contracts, torts, and civil rights issues. LAMP does not handle appeals for inmates to contest their convictions. Serves people in Minnesota only.

Accepts cases of actual innocence in Michigan; DNA cases and forensic issues cases only; must be in custody; no time requirement. Students assist assigned attorneys with reviewing case files, screening applications, investigating facts, conducting interviews, and analyzing cases. Serves Michigan only.

Brings those impacted by the justice system together with the University of Michigan community for artistic collaboration, mutual learning, and growth. Its programs include weekly creative arts workshops, exhibitions, a literary journal, and a community of formerly incarcerated creators. Write to PCAP to join the newsletter mailing list and receive its calls for art and writing. Michigan only.

Accepts cases of actual innocence in Michigan; non-DNA cases only; no sentence requirements. Only accepts cases after a person has exhausted their direct appeals. The prisoner must not be currently represented by counsel and the crime and conviction must have occurred in Michigan.

Prisoners’ Legal Services provides legal representation and administrative advocacy in civil (non-criminal) matters related to prisoners’ treatment in Massachusetts prisons and jails, and upon release on parole. Serves current or former Mass prisoners in issues including inadequate medical or mental health care, assaults or violence by staff, unsafe or inhumane conditions in Mass jails or prisons, arbitrary use of isolation, and/or unfair denial or revocation of parole. Accepts letters to address listed and calls during intake hours on Monday (or Tuesday if Monday is a holiday) from 1:00pm – 4:00pm. Non-English speakers seeking assistance may also contact PLS - they will provide interpretation services. Serves individuals in Massachusetts only.

The CPCS Innocence Program aims to identify and litigate new trial motions on behalf of indigent Massachusetts state defendants who are actually innocent of the crimes of which they have been convicted. They review and litigate both DNA and non-DNA based innocence claims, with special attention to cases involving eyewitness identification evidence, false confessions, and flawed or invalidated forensic science testimony. Write for questionnaire. Do not send original documents. Serves Massachusetts only. 

The MOPD Innocence Project Clinic at the Univ. of Baltimore seeks to identify individuals who have been convicted in Maryland state courts of crimes they did not commit and to provide them with assistance in the investigation of their claims. In appropriate cases, representation will be provided in post-trial litigation efforts to secure exonerations. Accepts cases of actual innocence in Maryland; DNA and non-DNA cases. Serves Maryland only.

Offers photocopies of case-law citations, law review articles, criminal procedures, etc. to prisoners incarcerated in Louisiana jails & parish or state prisons only. Requests should have specific case cites, docket numbers or article titles, and are limited to one per month and a maximum of 50 pages. No federal prisoner requests. Serves individuals in Louisiana state prisons or jails only.

Mail your book requests, please include a few preferred topics, genres or favorite authors. Our all-volunteer program sends books to people incarcerated in Louisiana, Alabama, and Arkansas, though not all facilities allow books from us.

The only nonprofit law firm in Louisiana focused on post-conviction relief representation and long-term support after release. Provides re-entry support. Accepts cases of factual innocence.  For unjust punishment cases, must have a final conviction (appeal denied) and serving a sentence that is disproportionate to the crime of which they were convicted. Under our Women’s Justice Initiative, we also consider cases where circumstances not properly considered at trial (self-defense, insanity, their role in the crime) led to a woman’s unjust conviction or sentence.  Serves Louisiana only.