Resources: Legal Resources
PARC corresponds with and mails a directory of these resources to prisoners, their friends and family members. We are often the first point of contact for people to connect with prisoners' rights organizations, community organizations, prison literature and arts projects, family and visiting resources, health care and legal resources, parole and pre-release resources, and the prison abolition movement.
Download a PDF copy of the 2019 Resource Guide.
| Resource | Category |
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Harvard Prison Legal Assistance Project The Harvard Prison Legal Assistance Project is a law student clinic providing service to indigent inmates, including advocacy for those charged with violating prison regulations, people appearing before Parole Board and disciplinary hearings, and research assistance for domestic post-conviction. Because this program is university-affiliated, it may not be staffed during transitional periods in the academic schedule. Collect calls accepted. Provides administrative advocacy, not litigation; they do not take on any direct legal represention. Serves people in Mass only. |
Legal Resources |
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Hawai'i Innocence Project Accepts applications from prisoners who were wrongfully convicted in Hawai'i and have a credible claim of factual innocence of the crime(s) they were convicted. Serves Hawaii Only, |
Legal Resources, Innocence Projects |
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Idaho Innocence Project Idaho prisoners with at least 5 years remaining on their sentence must write a letter directly for assistance, clearly stating his or her innocence. The project accepts only post-conviction cases from prisoners who do not currently have legal counsel. They will respond to the letter and let the prisoner know if any further information is needed before making a decision about their case. Do not send any legal documents or originals. Serves Idaho Only. |
Legal Resources, Innocence Projects |
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Illinois Innocence Project Cases accepted: Cases of actual innocence in Illinois only; DNA and non-DNA cases; must have eight or more years left to serve. The prisoner must be seeking to establish his/her actual innocence of the crime(s). The following factors are considered: absence of physical evidence, reliability of eye witnesses, identification of alternative suspects, police or prosecutorial misconduct and inconsistency of the nature of the crime as compared to the background of the prisoner. Case must no longer be in appeal and person must not have other counsel. Serves Illinois Only. |
Legal Resources, Innocence Projects |
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Innocence and Justice Clinic Cases accepted: Cases of actual innocence in North Carolina; DNA and non-DNA cases; no sentence requirements.Only serves individuals convicted in North Carolina. |
Legal Resources, Innocence Projects |
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Innocence and Justice Project Cases accepted: Cases of actual innocence in New Mexico; DNA and non-DNA cases; no sentence requirements. Serves New Mexio only. |
Legal Resources, Innocence Projects |
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Innocence Matters A very small number of post-conviction cases are accepted where Innocence Matters assumes the role of the lead lawyer, but only if the following criteria are met: the defendant is indigent; the accused is factually innocent and willing to submit to and pass a polygraph exam; case originates in Los Angeles County; he or she has already been rejected by a California Innocence Project; and Innocence Matters is not already at capacity. To be considered for Direct Post-Conviction Representation, send a letter to the above address. Only serves people convicted in Los Angeles County. |
Legal Resources, Innocence Projects |
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Innocence Project The Innocence Project works to exonerate the wrongly convicted through DNA testing and reforms to the criminal justice system to prevent future injustices. They accept only cases in which DNA testing can prove innocence. Write to request intake form. Accepts applications nationwide except from AZ, CA, IL, MI, OH, WI or Puerto Rico. |
Nationwide Organizations and Resources, Legal Resources, Innocence Projects |
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Innocence Project at the UVA School of Law The Innocence Project at the UVA School of Law will consider accepting cases of wrongful convictions if three criteria are met: (1) the inmate must have been convicted of a crime in Virginia, (2) the conviction must be final, and (3) the inmate is actually innocent of the crime of which he or she was convicted. If those three criteria are met, their decision whether or not to accept the case will be based upon the likelihood of being able to prove innocence, the availability of legal remedies, and their current caseload. To be considered, send a letter requesting their application packet. |
Legal Resources, Innocence Projects |
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Innocence Project New Orleans Accepts cases of factual innocence from Louisiana; must be serving a life sentence or a near-life sentence with at least 10 years left to be served; direct appeal has been denied; cannot afford an attorney; is not serving a sentence on another conviction. Limited to convictions in Louisiana or South Mississippi only. |
Legal Resources, Innocence Projects |