The National Lawyers Guild does not provide lawyers or legal assistance; they offer free membership for jailhouse lawyers, which includes the ability to vote on national resolutions and to receive the tri-annual newsletter, Guild Notes. The NLG also publishes the Jailhouse Lawyers Handbook with the Center for Constitutional Rights.

See PARC RECOMMENDED BOOKS at the end of this Directory for more info on how to order. (To order a handbook and/or request membership, send a request to National Lawyers Guild, PO Box 1266, New York, NY 10009). There is also an online form available at https://www.jailhouselaw.org/ to request a Handbook.

Maoist Internationalist Ministry of Prisons, MIM(Prisons), is a revolutionary anti-imperialist group fighting criminal injustice, helping prisoners to organize and educate themselves. Sends books to prisoners, and offers prisoners a free subscription to their newspaper. Write for a free prisoner subscription and to get involved in revolutionary organizing and education projects. No tablet messaging apps.

The Lewisburg Prison Project (LPP) advocates for incarcerated individuals regarding conditions of confinement. LPP responds to requests for information and provides materials to help educate inmates about their civil rights, including access to healthcare and freedom from abuse and assault. LPP does not assist people with criminal matters, habeas cases, sentencing issues, or parole, and they cannot assist with early or compassionate release. Resources available online or by mail. May not answer phone calls. No longer affiliated with the PA Institutional Law Project (PILP). Nationwide.

JDI is a health and human rights organization that seeks to end sexual abuse and exploitation in all forms of detention. It publishes a Resource Guide listing service providers in all 50 states that can help incarcerated survivors, as well as a Survivor Packet, which includes Hope for Healing, with contact information for local rape crisis centers and legal aid organizations; and a letter of hope from another prisoner rape survivor. Prisoners may communicate confidentially with JDI using legal mail at the listed address to Cynthia Totten. Serves people nationally.

The Innocence Project works to free innocent people and reform the criminal legal system to prevent future injustices. The organization accepts cases where testing of biological evidence and/or scientific advances can exonerate a wrongfully convicted person. Write to request an intake form. Accepts applications nationwide EXCEPT from AZ, CA, IL, MI, OH, WA or PR.

HEARD is a cross-disability abolitionist organization that supports deaf/disabled incarcerated people through grassroots advocacy, community organizing, peer support, mutual aid, education, and research. HEARD provides limited direct advocacy support to deaf/disabled incarcerated people, including deaf/disabled defendants who have not yet been convicted. We also provide limited re-entry support for deaf/disabled people returning home from incarceration. HEARD created and maintains the only national database of deaf/disabled incarcerated people. We use this information to guide our advocacy efforts and educate our communities about the urgent concerns that deaf/disabled people face in our legal system, prisons, and with coming home. Small organization. May not respond quickly to letters. Provides services in American Sign Language. Nationwide.

Nonprofit organization fighting for fair and proportionate sentencing laws that allow judicial discretion; improved prison conditions; and an increase in compassionate release. Provides resources and private Facebook group for impacted families and monthly, virtual storytelling and workshops in legislative advocacy. Does not provide legal service. May not respond to letters.

EJI is located in Montgomery, Alabama, and provides legal representation to people who have been illegally convicted, unfairly sentenced, or abused in state jails and prisons. They challenge the death penalty and excessive punishment and provide re-entry assistance to formerly incarcerated people. Works mainly in Southern states.

Published a monthly newsletter with news about prisoners nationwide from 2009 to 2023. Archived issues are on the website.

CR seeks to build an international movement to end the Prison Industrial Complex by challenging the belief that caging and controlling people makes everyone safe. CR also publishes “The Abolitionist," twice a year, printed in both English and Spanish, which is free to prisoners and can be subscribed to on their website. Previous editions of The Abolitionist are available online at: https://criticalresistance.org/abolitionist/