Resources

The ALC is a public interest law firm inspired by the struggle of political and politicized prisoners, and organized for the purpose of abolishing class and race based mass incarceration in the United States. To accomplish this goal, the ALC engages in litigation on behalf of people whose human rights have been violated in prison, produces educational programs to inform the general public about the evils of mass incarceration, and works to develop a mass movement against the American penal system by building alliances and nurturing solidarity across social divisions. Only accepts very select cases, primarily in Pennsylvania

This is a web-based service with reliable information on addiction and rehabilitation, substance abuse, mental health, and treatment. Lists top facilities by city with rigorous research. No facility can submit themselves or pay to be on a list. Includes types of treatment may be most helpful and effective.

 

Publishes Survivors Manual: Surviving in Solitary, by Bonnie Kerness (2012, 94 pages), free to prisoners and $3 for all others. The book is a powerful collection of voices from solitary, as people currently or formerly held in isolation vividly describe their conditions and their daily lives. The collection also includes artwork and poetry. Also available is a free 6-page brochure entitled LGBTQ+ Prisoner Resource Guide (2017). Serves people nationwide.

Nonprofit public-interest law firm providing free legal assistance to people living with HIV and AIDS, including PA prisoners. Also has an office in New Jersey at 709 Haddonfield-Berlin Rd., Voorhees Township, NJ, 08043. English and Spanish spoken. Serves Pennsylvania and New Jersey only.

All cases for consideration by AKIP should be submitted by mail to the address above with a brief factual summary of the case and a list of the evidence which might be available to prove innocence. No other documents should be submitted for initial review. AKIP does not accept telephone or e-mail applications.

All of Us or None is a grassroots organizing project of Legal Services for Prisoners with Children. All of Us or None fights for the full restoration of our civil and human rights of formerly-and currently-incarcerated people and families. They are fighting against the discrimination that people face every day because of arrest or conviction history. The goal of All of Us or None is to strengthen the voices of people most affected by mass incarceration and the growth of the prison-industrial complex.

Compiles information about prisoner torture, beatings, rape, etc. to include in reports about U.S. prison conditions; also works on police accountability and ending the death penalty. May not respond to individual letters.

Do you, as a prisoner, feel that there must be some meaning in your prison experience that is still to be discovered? Or that you can give it meaning? If so, you might be interested in Anthroposophy — the path from the spirit in man to the spirit in the universe. Anthroposophy embraces a spiritual view of the human being and cosmos, but its emphasis is on knowing, not faith. It is a path in which the human heart and hand, and especially our capacity for thinking, are essential. You may write to receive an initial package of literature containing a booklet titled Self-Development In The Penitentiary, as well as other articles and meditation exercises.

Accepts both DNA and non-DNA cases and represents indigent Arizona prisoners whose claims of innocence have gone unheeded. They also conduct post-conviction DNA testing in cases of forcible rape, murder, and non-negligent homicide cases, shaken baby syndrome and arson and other cases where the testing might demonstrate actual innocence. Serves Arizona only.

Ashland University serves over 1,000 incarcerated students annually with college curriculum.  The programs are offered to adult prisoners in the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction, and juvenile prisoners in the Ohio Department of Youth Services.  A recent emphasis has been placed on the development and delivery of online courses for the correctional programs which do not require live internet access. Serves Ohio only.

Athens Books to Prisoners is a volunteer-run organization that sends free books to prisoners in Ohio only.

Battling the Administration (David J. Meister, April 2014, 566 pages, $24.95 + $5 S&H) is a self-help manual that guides readers through the complex U.S. civil court system, teaches them how to pursue a lawsuit in the face of the constraints imposed by incarceration, and enables a successful outcome for the prisoner's civil rights lawsuit. The book includes extensive case-law citations and advice on organizing, investigating and prosecuting a case. Know your civil rights and how to defend them in court. Has not been updated since 2014, so research what the lower courts have said about the Supreme Court precedents listed; the advice on preparation and writing skills are still very relevant for any prison-based litigator.

Sends books to Mississippians in prisons and juvenile detention centers. Every person has the right to educate oneself; lets make that a reality. Serves Mississippians only.

Fomerly Midwest Trans Prisoner Pen Pal Project.  This project was formed to connect Midwest-based incarcerated trans/gender non-conforming people
with other trans/gender non-conforming and allied community member pen pals for friendship.  This project was initially launched to reach out
to transgender prisoners who are placed in lock down (administrative segregation), and now accepts pen pal requests from LGBTQIA2S+ individuals mainly in MN, IA, ND, and SD.

A grassroots, volunteer-run prison abolition project that provides free books upon request to people incarcerated in New Jersey prisons.

Free books across the Eastern Seaboard. Prisoners may request by topic (not exact title or author), and provide several areas of interest if possible. Sends to DE, MD, NJ, NY, PA & VA only.

CFASC is dedicated to stopping the inhumane treatment of prisoners within the California penal system, especially those held in solitary confinement. Their ultimate goal is to end the use of solitary confinement. CFASC is primarily an organization working with family members. Serves Californians only.

Human and civil rights group that investigates conditions in the California SHUs (control/isolation units), organizes and advocates for prisoners' rights, and provides self-help legal materials. Their quarterly newspaper, Prison Focus, is distributed free to SHU prisoners, $8 a year to other prisoners, and $20 a year to all others. Serves California only; will send newspaper nationally.

Writing Warriors: Advocacy through Correspondence Across the Walls is a project that opens contact with more people incarcerated at the women’s prisons in California. Our mission and the programs are different from a traditional prison pen pal program by connecting with people individually.  We offer supportive relationships with women, trans and GNC people at CCWF.  Writing Warriors volunteers will primarily communicate via JPAY email but can also correspond thru U.S. mail via the CCWP Oakland office address. Only povides services to California prisons.

The Center of Wrongful Convictions Women's Project monitors potential cases of wrongfully convicted women across the country, facilitates the sharing of information about such cases, and educates the public about relevant issues. They consider cases in which the person seeking assistance must be in no way responsible for the crimes of which she was convicted, and the trial must be completed and have resulted in a conviction and sentence.

The CWCY is the only innocence project in the country that focuses exclusively on individuals who were convicted or accused of crimes when they were adolescents or younger. They are dedicated to identifying, investigating, and litigating credible innocence claims of wrongfully convicted young people and preventing future wrongful convictions.

All-volunteer, nonprofit organization that distributes paperback books (including Spanish books) free of charge to women and trans people in prisons nationwide. They send three books in a package. Please provide at least five general options of genre or subject matter. Currently serves state prisons in Arizona, California, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Mississippi and Ohio, as well as all federal prisons. The only jail they serve is Cook County Jail. Expect delays during COVID-19.

Libros en español también

CURE organizes prisoners, their families and other concerned citizens to achieve reforms in the criminal-justice system, and has a presence in 24 states. Write for complete listing or addresses of state chapters. Serves people nationally.

CCJRC publishes a free quarterly newsletter, and a 250-page reentry guide for parolees in Colorado titled Getting On After Getting Out: A Re-entry Guide for Colorado ("Go Guide").  This book provides extensive information to help people prepare for release and successfully reintegrate back into their families and communities.  The cost is $10 + $3.50 S&H. Serves individuals in Colorado only. 

The Institutions Project represents people confined in Washington's jails, prisons, juvenile detention facilities, mental health facilities, and facilities for people with developmental disabilities. This work has focused on conditions of confinement, discrimination, sentencing and placement, alternatives to institutionalization, and access to courts, as well as issues related to rehabilitation, re-entry, and reductions in recidivism. Serves people in Washington state only.

A coalition that focuses on alternatives to incarceration, prison reform legislative issues, community education, and effective interventions for all of Hawaii’s lawbreakers. CAP’s goal is to educate the community on best practices and proven strategies that preserve human dignity, reform our criminal justice system, and motivate the greater community to take action on these important issues. Serves individuals in Hawai'i only.

Provides monthly Dharma Friends newsletters, and also the following resource lists; Personal Health and Nutrition, 12 Step and Buddhism, Buddhist Resources, Christian Spiritual Resources, Hindu and Yoga Spiritual Resources, Other Spiritual and Psychological Healing Resources, Todd Fletcher's Buddhist Resource List, Ani Tendron's Recommended Buddhist Readings.

Accepts cases of actual innocence in Connecticut; DNA and non-DNA cases. Sentence must include at least a ten year period of incarceration and be no less than five years from estimated release date. There must be some new evidence in the case which would establish innocence. Serves Connecticut only. 

The Cornell Prison Education Program brings together Cornell faculty and graduate students to teach a free college-level liberal arts curriculum to a select group incarcerated at several correctional facilities near Cornell University. New York State only. 

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," once a year, printed in both English and Spanish, which is free to prisoners. Previous editions of The Abolitionist are available online at: https://abolitionistpaper.wordpress.com/.

Request reading material by mail. lease request by prioritized subject and not specific book title (we rely on donations), and list prison restrictions if known. DC Books to Prisons responds to state and federal prisoners in AK, AL, AR, CA, CO, DE, GA, HI, IA, ID, IN, KS, KY, LA, MD, MN, MO, MS, MT, NC, ND, NE, NM, NV, OH, OK, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA, WV, and WY as well as federal prisoners (only) in AZ and requests from DC residents in federal prisons in all states. Please wait 5 months between requests.

Assistance is generally limited to providing basic disability civil rights informational materials and referrals, with attention to CDCR state prisoners. DREDF does not provide assistance with individual disability benefits applications or denial of Social Security Disability benefits. Serves people in California only.

Formed in 2007 as a prison abolitionist, anti-authoritarian collective. Write to receive a catalog of anarchist, decolonial, queer liberation, anti-capitalist, black, brown and indigenous-oriented literature, sent free to prisoners in any state. También enviamos literatura gratuita en español.

Vendor of overstock and bargain books, some hardbound and others paperbound (type of binding listed in catalogs). Sends out free book catalogs, organized by the following subject areas: Arts & Education; Fiction; Healthy Living; History; Home & Garden; Biography; Cookbooks; Military History; Craft/Needlecrafts; Science & Nature; New Arrivals; and Bargain Books. Serves people nationally.

The 16-page Ex-Offender Re-Entry Services Guide (last updated 1/2020) has been designed to enhance and expand services to ex-offenders in Idaho, and assist in their re-entry into the State's work force. Contains local office information for Idaho Dept. of Labor.  Available for download.Only serves people in Idaho. 

Nonprofit organization fighting for fair and proportionate sentencing laws that allow judicial discretion; improved prison conditions; and an increase in compassionate release. May not respond to letters.

The Florida Justice Institute (FJI) is a public interest law firm that conducts civil rights litigation and advocacy in the areas of prisoners’ rights, housing discrimination, disability discrimination, and other areas impacting the poor and disenfranchised. This includes cases for persons currently or formerly incarcerated in a Florida prison or jail involving mistreatment while incarcerated, or involving the conditions of the facility. Does not assist with criminal law cases or postconviction cases such as habeas corpus petitions.Only serves people in Florida. 

Publishes and distributes "The Texas Write Writer's Survival Guides" including THE TEXAS CITEBOOK which contains 1,400+ Texas caselaws on 100 legal topics and has a foreword by the National Lawyers Guild. To receive an order form and more info send SASE.

The Fortune Society’s vision is to create a world where all who are incarcerated or formerly incarcerated can become positive, contributing members of society. They do this through a holistic, one-stop model of service provision. Their continuum of care, informed and implemented by professionals with cultural backgrounds and life experiences similar to those of their participants, helps ensure each individual’s success. The Fortune Society serves approximately 7,000 individuals annually via three primary New York City-area locations: their service center in Long Island City, and both The Fortune Academy and Castle Gardens in West Harlem. Also publishes The Fortune News twice per year, which is free to those incarcerated in NY. Serves people in New York only.

Offers prisoner titles such as Cell Chef Cookbook, Life With A Record, Start Thinking Outside Prison, and other books, guides, newsletters, collectible artwork photos, greeting cards, and niche items created for and by incarcerated individuals. Send for their packet of color brochures, and include a pre-addresses stamped envelope for faster service. Produces Inmate Shopper (2018-19 Issue), which is America's largest book of resources for inmate's services plus many other sections of reading and entertainment. PARC especially recommends the Inmate Shopper because it reviews and rates many of the businesses that service inmates. Order online, phone, email or send a payment for $26.99 (includes priority shipping & tracking) to the above address. Accepts JPay and Corrlinks at Diane@FreebirdPublishers.com. MoneyGram also accepted.

Friends Outside provides services and support to visitors at each California State Prison, and are located outside the prison walls but on prison grounds (usually adjacent to the visitor parking lots). Visitor Centers provide childcare, transportation, information and resources, and a restful and welcoming place to stop for a moment before and after visits. Does not usually respond to letters. Only serves people in California. 

As a comprehensive survey of all criminal procedure in the federal courts. The ARCP is a single issue per year edition that provides readers with objective, concise and accurate overview of criminal procedure and recent case-law decisions in the United States Supreme Court and each of the 12 Federal Circuit Courts. The $25 discounted rate is only honored for orders sent directly to correctional facilities, $85 for standard retail rate. Ask a friend or loved one to email for the discounted order form, and have them mail it to you or write to the Office of Journal Administration-ARCP for a copy to be mailed directly to you. Please make checks and money orders payable to: Georgetown Law Journals-ARCP. VISA/Mastercard  payments are accepted via fax at 845-267-3478. Refunds are not available for discount orders. Orders are shipped USPS, so please allow up to 4-6 weeks for delivery. Tax must be included if shipping to DC (5.75%), VA (5.0%), MD (6%), NY (7.0%), TN (7% state & 2.25% local). Expect delays; Do not send money order or check without an order form.

Through strategic litigation, public policy advocacy and education, GLAD works in New England and nationally to create a just society free of discrimination based on gender identity and expression, HIV status and sexual orientation. As part of this work, GLAD takes very select legal representation on behalf of LGBTQ prisoners. Has a victory in Sept. 2018 achieving transfer of a trans woman to a women's prison in Maine. Also has a New England centered resource guide. Mostly serves people in New England.

All volunteer group that distributes books to contribute to the education, entertainment and support of incarcerated people. Will read requests and find the closest matches they can among their book collection.

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 representation. Serves people in Mass only.

Haymarket Books is a nonprofit, radical book distributor and publisher, a project of the Center for Economic Research and Social Change. They believe that activists need to take ideas, history, and politics into the many struggles for social justice today. The books they offer reflect their values. Write for a copy of their catalog (discounts for prisoners). Serves people nationally. Expect delays due to covid.

All volunteer organization that provides advocacy services for deaf, hard of hearing and deaf-blind inmates across the nation. HEARD’s mission is to promote equal access to the justice and legal system for deaf defendants, detainees, prisoners, and returned citizens. HEARD created and maintains the only national database of deaf and deaf-blind prisoners and is the only organization that focuses on correcting and preventing wrongful conviction of deaf people. May not respond quickly to letters. Nationwide.

Mission is to support incarcerated mothers and their children. Provides resources and services outside and inside New York state prisons only. Also provides services in Spanish (también ofrece servicios en español). Only provides services to New York state prisons.

The Human Kindness Foundation's Prison-Ashram Project sends free books and newsletters to people in prisons and jails all over the U.S., including We're All Doing Time by the late Bo Lozoff. HKF encourages a way of life based upon three common principles taught by the great sages of all religions: Simple living, a dedication to service, and a commitment to personal spiritual practice. Write to request materials in English or Spanish. Limited materials also available to addresses outside the U.S.

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.

Cases accepted: Cases of actual innocence in North Carolina; DNA and non-DNA cases; no sentence requirements. Serves North Carolina only.

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.

Accepts cases of factual innocence; 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. Serves Louisiana and South Mississippi only.

Reviews and litigates cases of wrongful conviction in Iowa. It partners with the Midwest Innocence Project and the Wrongful Conviction Division of the State Public Defender of Iowa in its review and litigation of cases. Most likely to take cases that include: DNA evidence; mistaken eyewitness identification; false confessions; convictions due to police, prosecutorial, or judicial neglect or misconduct; unreliable scientific methods, tests, or procedures; false witness testimony; and egregious defense counsel neglect or misconduct. Write for a questionnaire. Serves Iowa only.

Sends free books and literature to prisoners in Texas only. Also sends a very informative prisoner resource guide free to prisoners in all states. Send two stamps, or pre-addressed stamped envelope containing two stamps for a copy of their resource guide. Serves people in Texas prisons only.

Sends free material about bhakti-yoga study and practice; books, prayer beads, CDs, MP3s, and incense. We need to know: 1) Which items you are allowed to have, 2) Are you allowed hardbound or only softbound books? 3) Which items can be sent to you directly and which only through the chaplain? The books cover reincarnation, karma, and how to live a simple, godly life, and find internal peace and joy no matter what your circumstances. 

Set within Ithaca College, this group works to send reading literature to incarcerated individuals as well as raise awareness of issues related to incarceration. Serves NY, NY, VT, MA, RI, CT, NJ, and PA. Include a request for a genre, author, or title and any mailing restrictions for you facility.  Requests will be honored as best as possible. Be patient for response as they only pack and mail twice per semester.

The Jailhouse Lawyers Handbook: How to Bring a Federal Lawsuit to Challenge Violations of Your Rights in Prison

NEW EDITION! Published jointly by the National Lawyers Guild and the Center for Constitutional Rights, explains how a prisoner can start a lawsuit in federal court to fight against mistreatment and bad conditions in prison. This handbook is a free resource for people in prison who wish to file a federal lawsuit addressing poor conditions in prison or abuse by prison staff. It also contains limited general information about the United States legal system. Has excellent explanation of the Prison Litigation Reform Act. Essential resource for any jailhouse lawyer.  Last updated in 2021.  To receive a paperbound copy, mail a request to the above address and wait at least 2 months for return.  Requests are bundled and sent only several times per year.  If no response after 3 months, write to the National NLG Prison Law Project for a copy: P.O. Box 1266; New York, NY, 10009.

The Handbook is also available downloaded from their website (http://jailhouselaw.org/) Request an outside source to print and mail it to you. List of chapter headings: (1) How to Use the JLH; (2) Overview of Types of Lawsuits and the Prison Litigation Reform Act' 3) Your Rights in Prison; (4) Who to Sue and What to Ask for; (5) How to Start Your Lawsuit; (6) What Happens After You File Your Suit; (7) The Legal System and Legal Research; and Appendices A-N.

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 above address. Serves people nationally.

The Korey Wise Innocence Project (fKWIP) will not take cases in which the defendant already has a lawyer, or is entitled to a lawyer at state expense. The KWIP will take a case only where there is a genuine and provable claim of innocence. The KWIP gets involved only when the traditional methods of appealing a conviction have failed. Only Colorado cases will be accepted (state and federal). Write for a copy  of evaluation criteria.

The Legal Action Center’s mission is to assist New York state residents to fight discrimination against those with histories of addiction, HIV/AIDS, or criminal records, and to advocate for sound public policies in these areas. Write for list of publications.Serves New York state only.

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 interview 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.

Level provides free printed educational, job training and personal development guides for people in prison anywhere in the US. Send a letter to request content.

Volunteer-run organization that sends books and other educational materials, free of charge, to LGBT-identified people in prison across the US (except those in TX). Will send books in Spanish (enviar libros en Español). Sends up to two packages and books per year.  Prefers requests by topic/genre, but can occasionally fulfill specific requests. Serves all states except Texas.

Abolitionist group of volunteers sending books to individuals incarcerated in Missouri and Kansas only.  Also runs a small pen pal program.

New as of 2022! Books to prisoners program serving Washington and Alaska only. Send with general requests by genre and/or topic.

Ships free books directly to prisoners in Kentucky and Virginia only. Request reading material by prioritized subjects and list facility restrictions if known. Serves Kentucky and Virginia only.

The Maine Prisoner Advocacy Coalition (MPAC) is comprised of Maine prisoners, their friends and families, victims of crime, and others committed to ethical, positive, and humane changes in Maine's prison system. they focus on solitary confinement, inhumane conditions of confinement, and reentry services. Serves Maine only.

Students represent indigent clients seeking relief from wrongful Indiana convictions in state post-conviction and/or federal habeas corpus proceedings. State cases are accepted in cooperation with the Office of the State Public Defender. Accepts cases of actual innocence; DNA and Non-DNA Cases; will consider arson, Shaken Baby Syndrome, and child abuse cases. Serves Indiana only.

Free investigative and legal assistance to prisoners convicted in the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia who are factually innocent and whose innocence can be proven by DNA testing or by other newly discovered evidence. The prisoner must not be currently represented by another attorney in his or her criminal case, or have the right to appointed counsel in the case. Write for questionnaire. District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia only.

Midwest Books to Prisoners is staffed by volunteers who collect book donations, read letters, pack packages and solicit donations. Books are sent to prisoners in the following states: IL, IN, IA, KS, MI, MN, MO, NE, OH, ND, SD & WI.  Unfortunately, due to policy restrictions by MDOC and INDOC, we cannot send books to Minnesota or Indiana state prisons at this time.

Midwest Pages to Prisoners provides free books and zines to prisoners in these ten Midwest states only: AR, IA, IN, KS, MN, MO, ND, NE, OK, & SD. In your letter, please tell us what type of reading material you are interested in—sharing subjects and genres of interest is most helpful. 

Accepts DNA and non-DNA cases. Prisoners must have been convicted of a felony crime in a Montana state or federal court; must have completed trial, sentencing and direct appeals; must not currently be represented by an attorney. Priority is given to cases where convincing and corroborating evidence can establish actual innocence. Serves Montana only.

Advocates for change policies and society to increase understanding and acceptance of transgender people. Its Racial and Economic Justice Initiatice includes work on reforming detention conditions for transgender people in correctional facilities and in immigration detention. In 2019, NCTE published Failing To Protect & Serve, an audit of the policies at the 25 largest police departments and a model policy to help local advicates and law enforcement. Operating remotely in January 2022 and will continue to do so for an undetermined period of time. They are still active during the pandemic but remote status may impact phone and written responses. Will send resources nationwide.

The Clearinghouse assists defense teams on cases involving domestic violence survivors charged with crimes related to their abuse. It does not provide directly legal representation, but consults with defense teams. They have a number of publications downloadable for free on this issue intersecting with criminal cases, immigration, and family law proceedings. Serves women nationally, but expect delay in response to letters.

The NHCN serves as a hub of resources and information about hepatitis C in prisons and jails, including publishing resources about Hep C treatment in prison and producing educational materials for incarcerated people about hepatitis. The NHCN is a program of the Hepatitis Education Project (HEP), a nonprofit organization based in Seattle, WA. Serves people nationally.

NRCCFI is the oldest and largest organization in the U.S. focused on children and families of the incarcerated and programs that serve them.  Has a library of resources downloadable from its website; publishes fact sheets and a directory listing programs in the United States and around the world that offer services specifically for children and families of the incarcerated.

NMIJP’s primary mission is to provide assistance and referrals to people wrongfully convicted in our state. NMIJP is an independent organization, and has no affiliation with any other project in New Mexico. They will be opening to review and refer cases soon. In the meantime, please direct questions or concerns to info@nmijp.org. Serves New Mexico only. 

Accepts cases of actual innocence in North Carolina; DNA and non-DNA cases; will consider arson and shaken baby syndrome cases, and may consider child abuse cases; typically limit to those in custody, but exceptions are made. Serves North Carolina only.

NCPLS provides legal assistance to prisoners in the North Carolina Department of Correction ranging from advice about prisoner’s legal rights to representation in litigation in state and federal court. Cases are accepted based on referrals from attorneys as well as direct requests from prisoners or individuals acting on behalf of prisoners incapable of requesting legal assistance. The organization is divided into three teams of attorneys and paralegals: Post-Conviction, Civil, and Support Services. Serves people in North Carolina only.

Accepts actual innocence cases for people convicted in a Northern or Central California county; DNA and non-DNA cases; no minimum sentence requirements. The applicant must have been convicted in state court of a serious felony. Will consider cases involving faulty forensic science, police or prosecutor misconduct, ineffective assistance of counsel, eyewitness misidentification, false testimony and false confessions. Northern and Central California only.

Accepts cases of actual innocence in Ohio; DNA and non-DNA cases; no sentence requirements. Only serves prisoners in Ohio.

Ohio University offers print-based courses to earn degree or simply take courses. Offers Associates, Bachelors, and Legal Studies Certificate courses. Write for a student inquiry packet and application, or get family/friends to download from the internet and mail directly to you. Offers courses nationally.

Sends books to all incarcerated people in Oklahoma. Will try to fulfill specific requests as best as they can, but best is to make a general
request by topic. Only sends paperback books.

The Oregon Innocence Project's mission is to exonerate the innocent, educate and train law students, and promote legal reforms aimed at preventing wrongful convictions.They provide free legal assistance to inmates convicted in an Oregon court who assert factual innocence, and where there is the possibility of proving innocence. Serves Oregon only.

Pathfinder Press is a publisher whic carries books on the works of revolutionary and working class leaders, in many different languages. Prisoners receive a 50% discount off the cover price, with a flat rate of $2.75 for shipping and handling per order (one or more titles). Write for a free catalog. Serves people internationally.

The Pennsylvania Innocence Project only takes on cases from factually innocent individuals who have been wrongfully convicted and exhausted their appeals. The Project takes on cases with or without DNA evidence, and will consider arson, shaken baby syndrome, and child abuse cases. Only serves people convicted in Pennsylvania.

PPS offers resources to Pennsylvania prisoners in the form of an official visiting program to help people in custody with issues they may be experiencing while in confinement, transportation support for visitors to state prisons, a free resource program where information requested is sent via mail, and re-entry services, including mentoring and referrals. It also publishes “Graterfriends,” a newsletter published 6 times a year by and for incarcerated people with issues relevant to them ($3.00 for an annual prisoner subscription). Only has access to people in state or county custody in the state of Pennsylvania; newsletter and resource program available to all.

All-volunteer non-profit organization that sends free educational books  nd quality reading material to prisoners in Pennsylvania only. Formerly Book 'Em. Request books by subject/genre (they usually can't fill specific book requests by title).  Sends books to individuals in Pennsylvania only.

National books to prisoners organization. Offers a free 6-page “National Prisoner Resource List,” and a free resource list for LGBTQ. Does not send books or any other materials to any jails. Books may be delayed up to 4 to 6 months. Allows two book shipments per year.  Serves people nationally EXCEPT CA, IL, MD, MI, NV, and TX, as well as some other individual prisons.

The Prison Creative Arts Project (PCAP) facilitates fine arts, creative writing, and theatre workshops in juvenile detention centers and prisons in Michigan. Its programs include weekly creative arts workshops in prisons, exhibitions by currently and formerly incarcerated artists, an annual literary journal of creative writing by incarcerated adults, and a reentry arts program. Serves Michigan only.

The Prison law Office litigates and monitors California and Arizona class action lawsuits regarding medical care, mental health care, and disabled access for prisoners. Also has extensive set of legal informational handouts. Write with your specific questions and they will send you a packet if they have one that applies. Se habla Español. Serves Californians and Arizonans only.

The following are available through Prison Legal News, PO Box 1151 Lake Worth, FL 33460, 561-360-2523

https://www.prisonlegalnews.org/store/products/

1. The Habeas Citebook: Prosecutorial Misconduct. By Alissa Hull. $49.95 + $6 S&H. Latest offering in Prison Legal News Publishing’s Citebook series. Like the other Citebooks in the series, it’s designed to help pro se prisoner litigants to identify and raise viable claims for potential habeas corpus relief. This invaluable tool contains several hundred case citations and descriptions, saving readers many hours of research in identifying winning arguments to successfully challenge their conviction. It’s conveniently and logically organized into 16 chapters, beginning with a general overview of prosecutorial misconduct and progresses topically to discussing and providing case citations to specific issues such as Brady considerations and discriminatory jury selection.


2. 
   

   Prison Education Guide.Christopher Zoukis, 2016, 280 pages, $49.95 + $6 S&H. This exceptional book provides the reader with step-by-step instructions to find the right educational program, enroll in courses and complete classes to meet their academic goals.

   
   


3. 
   

   The Disciplinary Self-Help Litigation Manual. Dan Manville, 2nd Ed, 2015, 368 pages, $49.95 + $6 S&H. This is designed to inform prisoners of their rights when faced with the consequences of a disciplinary hearing. This authoritative and comprehensive work educates prisoners about their rights throughout this process and helps guide them at all stages, from administrative hearing through litigation. This invaluable how-to guide offers step by step information for both state and federal prisoners and includes a 50 state analysis of relevant case law.

   
   


4. The Habeas Citebook: Ineffective Assistance of Counsel. Brandon Sample, 2nd Ed, 2016, 275 pages, $49.95 +$6 S&H. The book is also practical and useful. It provides invaluable resources, including templates and forms, that explain what, when, where and how to file for habeas relief. It contains readable summaries of the relevant laws and rules and plain-English explanations of some of the inherently mystifying concepts of habeas law, such as “procedural default” and “certificates of appealability” and the “AEDPA,” along with practical advice.
    


5. Prisoners' Self Help Litigation Manual. John Boston & Dan Manville, 4th Ed, 2010, 928 pages, $54.95 + S&H. This is an indispensable guide for prisoners and prisoner advocates seeking to understand the rights guaranteed to prisoners by law and how to protect conditions of confinement, civil liberties in prison, procedural due process, the legal system, how to litigate, conducting effective legal research, and writing legal documents.  Also available on Ebay and third party sellers at a discount.
    


6. Protecting Your Health and Safety: A Litigation Guide For Inmates. Robert E. Toone, 2nd Ed, 2009, 325 pages, $10 + $6 S&H. This is an easy to read, plain language guide prisoners can use to identify and litigate federal civil rights claims against prison officials. Over 100 pages are dedicated to the different kinds of constitutional and statutory violations prisoners frequently encounter while incarcerated. Has not been updated since 2009; be sure to check case cites for updated case law.

Need information or trying to do research? Let PLSN be your human search engines. Send us your information and research-related questions and we will mail you pages about anything you ask us to look up. Can help find info about community resources; articles from newspapers, magazines, or academic journals; and material published online on topics you're trying to learn more about. Can NOT help with things that go against facility mail room policies, penpal requests, or legal advice.

Prison University Project is a on-profit organization that supports the College Program at San Quentin State Prison, an associate's degree program. Courses are taught by volunteers, most of them graduate students, instructors, and faculty members from San Francisco Bay Area colleges and universities. Also works to expand higher educations for incarcerated Californians more generally. Published report on higher education in prison available. Serves people in California only.

The Prisoner Correspondence Project is a solidarity project for gay, lesbian, transsexual, transgender, gendervariant, two-spirit, intersex, bisexual and queer prisoners in Canada and the United States, linking them with people a part of these same communities outside of prison through a direct-correspondence program Letters to PCP in Canada cost $1.15 in US postage. Has pen pals who speak/write French. Serves people nationally.

Prisoner Visitation and Support (PVS) is a volunteer visitation program for federal and military prisoners across the U.S., with special priority given to those on death row, in solitary confinement, serving long sentences, or not receiving regular visits.  PVS volunteers visit once a month, with no religious or political agenda, to provide a listening ear to those who need one.  Limited visiting for Spanish speaking prisoners. Serves federal and military prisoners only. 

PLSNY provides free legal services to New York State prisoners. Also publishes Pro Se newsletter six times per year for prisoners in New York State prisons, providing information and analysis on recent developments in prison law. To subscribe, send a subscription request with prisoner's name, DIN number, and facility to: Pro Se, 114 Prospect Street, Ithaca, NY 14850. Past issues of Pro Se from 2002-2016 are downloadable from their website. Write for the office near you. We serve NY state prisons only; not county jails or federal prisoners.

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. Only serves indigent or poor, 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. Serves people in Mass. only.

Project AVARY offers long-term support and enrichment for children and youth in the San Francisco Bay Area with a parent in prison or jail. The program services include a summer camp, monthly outings, leadership training, and family support. Write for further details.

Project Rebound is a program to help formerly incarcerated students prepare, apply, enroll and graduate with a degree from Cal State Fullerton. The program offers academic and financial counseling, peer mentoring and tutoring, and career placement. Serves released Californians only.

Project Rebound is a program to help formerly incarcerated students prepare, apply, enroll and graduate with a degree from CSU Bakersfield. The program offers academic and financial counseling, peer mentoring and tutoring, and career placement. Serves released Californians only.

Project Rebound is a program to help formerly incarcerated students prepare, apply, enroll and graduate with a degree from CSU San Marcos. The program offers academic and financial counseling, peer mentoring and tutoring, and career placement. Serves released Californians only.

Project Rebound is a program to help formerly incarcerated students prepare, apply, enroll and graduate with a degree from Fresno State University. The program offers academic and financial counseling, peer mentoring and tutoring, and career placement. Serves released Californians only.

Project Rebound is a program to help formerly incarcerated students prepare, apply, enroll and graduate with a degree from Long Beach State University. The program offers academic and financial counseling, peer mentoring and tutoring, and career placement. Serves released Californians only.

Project Rebound is a program to help formerly incarcerated students prepare, apply, enroll and graduate with a degree from CSU San Bernadino. The program offers academic and financial counseling, peer mentoring and tutoring, and career placement. Serves released Californians only.

Project Rebound is a program to help formerly incarcerated students prepare, apply, enroll and graduate with a degree from SF State University. The program offers academic and financial counseling, peer mentoring and tutoring, and career placement. Serves released Californians only.

Legal services nonprofit that advocates for humane, fair, and equal treatment of individuals in jails and prison. Publishes a resource guide that includes additional information on organizations to contact for legal representation and advice, as well as other resources that might be helpful. Has a prison conditions project fighting to end the death penalty and solitary confinement in Louisiana prisons. Has litigated issues including medical care at Angola, inhumane heat, and conditions in Baton Rouge Parish prison, and juveniles serving LWOP sentences. Serves people in Louisiana only.

Grassroots collective in Tucson that originated in March 2007 sending free books. Serves people in Arizona federal detention centers.

Accepts cases of wrongful conviction and actual innocence for felony convictions that were previously assigned to OAD on appeal. Cases are randomly assigned by the court, and consist of indigent defendants who were convicted in the Bronx and Manhattan. OAD’s Reinvestigation Project works on DNA and non-DNA wrongful conviction cases and does not have any sentence requirements. At this time, the Reinvestigation Project is not funded to accept cases that have not been assigned to the office on direct appeal.

Rogue Liberation Library, a program of he Peace House, sends free books and reading materials to foster knowledge, creativity, communication, personal development, and well-being. Request books by subject, not specific titles or authors. List prison book restrictions if known. Does not send to prisons that require all books be new. Does not send legal materials. Limit requests to once every three months. Books are sent free of charge to people in state prisons in the western half of the U.S. and federal prisons nationwide where allowed by state and federal regulations.

San Quentin News is a 20-page monthly newsletter written, edited, and produced by prisoners incarcerated at San Quentin State Prison. The SQ News encourages prisoners, staff, or others outside the institution to submit articles, poems, artwork and letters to the editor for possible inclusion. To receive a mailed copy of the SQ News, send $1.61 in postage. This process should be repeated every month for each new edition.

Sends free books to individuals incarcerated in Georgia and South Carolina. Also has a number of resources, including an Advocacy Handbook for People Imprisoned in Georgia and regional re-entry resources, that it will print and mail. Write for more info on resources available.

Provides Bible study courses in English and Spanish to people free of charge. Curriculum consists of Bible courses from the Navigators in Colorado Springs, Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, and Emmaus Correspondence School in Iowa. Provides free postage both mailing and return. Serves people nationally.

Slingshot is a quarterly, independent, radical newspaper published in the East Bay since 1988 by the Slingshot Collective. Subscriptions are free to USA prisoners.  Accepts submissions of articles, artwork, calendar items, spots to add to the radical contact list, suggestions for distribution, and thoughts about what they should be doing next. Serves people nationally.

SCHR provides legal representation to people facing the death penalty in Georgia and Alabama only, as well as in cases of unconstitutional conditions of confinement. SCHR also provides free access to a number of publications and handouts, including your free speech rights in prison and Georgia parole handbook. Serves people in Georgia and Alabama only.

Dedicated to disseminating the Siddha Yoga teachings and practices to incarcerated individuals. Sends free monthly newsletter and the Siddha Yoga Home Study Course to prisoners. Write to get signed up for the Yoga Study Project. Serves people nationally.

Works on reform projects including ending solitary confinement in Texas, challenging debtor's prison practices, ending tortuous heat conditions, and improving mental health. Does not provide individual representation. Serves Texans only.

The American Prison Writing Archive is an digital archive of non-fiction essays that offers the public first-hand testimony to the living and working conditions experienced by prisoners, prison employees, and prison volunteers. All prisoners can contribute. Non-fiction essays, based on first-hand experience, should be limited to 5,000 words (15 double-spaced pages). Clearly hand-written pages are also welcome. They charge no fees and read all writing submitted. Write in for the permissions-questionnaire, which MUST accompany all submissions. Serves writers nationally.

The California Prison and Parole Law Handbook (Heather MacKay & Prison Law Office, 5th Ed, 2019, 1170 pages) is newly updated in 2019! It is a comprehensive overview of the laws and policies affecting people in state prisons and on parole in California. Includes extensive discussion of the administrative appeals and court actions that people can use to protect their rights and to seek remedies. 19 chapters, plus resource lists, forms, and sample legal documents. It is available for download for free online at https://prisonlaw.com/resources/prison-handbook/. Paper copies for people in custody are $20 and $200 for all others. Prices include tax, shipping and handling. The Prison Law Office has a monthly drawing for free copies of The Handbook for people in custody. To be put in the pool, a person should send a copy of their trust account statement showing that they have not had more than $25 in their account in the past six months to Prison Law Office at above address.

Chapters include: Administrative Appeals; Rights of People in Prison; Cruel and Unusual Punishment, Use of Excessive Force, and Protection from Physical and Sexual Abuse; Classification, Housing and Programs; Prison Rule Violations; Placement in Segregation; Medical, Mental Health, and Dental Care; Determinate Sentences, Restitution, Time Credits, and Release Dates; Life Parole Suitability, Other Board of Parole Hearings Proceedings, Commutations, and Pardons; Detainers and Extradition; Parole and Post-Release Community Supervision; MDO and SVP Commitments; Workers Compensation and Other Benefits; Immigration Issues for People in Prison; Direct Appeals of Criminal Convictions; State Petitions for Writ of Habeas Corpus and Writ of Mandate/Prohibition; Federal Petitions for Writ of Habeas Corpus; Federal Civil Rights (“Section 1983”) Lawsuits; State Tort Lawsuits; and Legal Research, Writing, and Strategies.

Legal clinic reviewing cases of innocence for people who have gone to trial and were found guilty of crimes they did not commit. They consider post-conviction cases from across the nation for individuals wrongfully convicted of different types of crimes and with different sentence lengths, including cases where a defendant has served their complete sentence or pled guilty. They do not consider cases of self-defense. In order to apply for representation, the defendant must be innocent of the crime and the trial must be completed and have resulted in a conviction. Expect delays in the summer. Will consider cases nationwide.

Free investigative and legal services to the convicted innocent of New Jersey who have substantial claims of factual innocence and are willing to cooperate with requests aimed at discovering the truth. Serves New Jersey only.

Support for Michigan lifers led by Willis X. Harris, found innocent after serving over 23 years in the Michigan prison system. Write for information about programming and support for lifers. Note there is no online presence, but they are easily reached by phone or mail. Serves people in MI specifically but also all across the US and Canada.

A family operated used bookstore that has specialized in mailing books to inmates for 25 years.  Send an S.A.S.E for our information and one page info/order form. This is a bookseller, not a free books program. Please, read the information and instructions on the form before sending a list of books wanted.  They carry new and used paperbacks, magazine subscriptions, calendars, and puzzles. They do not have a catalog, but will work with you to send the books that you want.  Families & Friends can also order online. Nationwide service, but depends on state regulations for receiving books in your state. Nationwide Service, But depends on state regulations for recieveing books in your state.

The Sentencing Project is a national policy research and advocacy organization that works for a fair and effective criminal justice system by promoting sentencing reform and alternatives to incarceration. They produce reports on prison-related topics, including prison populations nationally,  state-by-state data, life sentences, voting rights, and more. May not respond to letters.

Handles claims of actual innocence typically involving DNA evidence testing, mistaken identification, or that a crime never actually occurred. Thurgood Marshall law students work directly on the project and screen cases, obtain and review case histories, investigate facts, interview involved persons, write case time lines and summaries, perform case analyses, and prepare written case evaluations and pleadings. Serves Texas only.

Transgender Law Center’s Detention Project works to end the abuses transgender and gender nonconforming (TGNC) people experience in institutional settings such as prisons and jails. Resources include state DOC and BOP policies on trans rights; guides for filing grievances and lawsuits; know-your-rights guides for trans and LGBT people; medical information about transition-related health care; reentry resources; and other information. Serves people nationwide, but more specific information for Californians.

An LGBTQ+ focused abolition and advocacy group based out of Asheville, NC.  A volunteer-run, non-hierarchicial organization providing free books, zines, resources and other means of support to incarcerated queer individuals nationwide.

Law student clinic focused on incarcerated individuals who are also survivors of abuse. Provides individual representation for post-conviction, parole, and clemency proceedings where abuse was a factor in the crime of conviction. Expect delays during the summer. Serves survivors in Louisiana only, but will consult nationwide with defense attorneys. 

Law firm providing parole services to individuals in California; also provides resources on supporting people serving life and long-term sentences.

The clinic handles cases involving innocent individuals incarcerated for a minimum of 10 years who have new evidence ranging from recanting witnesses to new witnesses discovered by students to prosecutorial misconduct and ineffective assistance of counsel. The clinic also accepts cases involving DNA evidence. Serves Floridians only.

UC Books to Prisoners is an Urbana, Illinois based project providing books at no cost by mail to inmates in state and federal prisons, as well as in two county jail libraries in Illinois. Serves people in Illinois only.

The Vegetarian Resource Group is a non-profit organization dedicated to educating the public on vegetarianism and the interrelated issues of health, nutrition, ecology, ethics, and world hunger. In addition to publishing the Vegetarian Journal, VRG produces and sells cookbooks, other books, pamphlets, and article reprints. Serves people nationwide.

Accepts cases of actual innocence in West Virginia; DNA and non-DNA cases; three or more years left to serve; will consider arson and shaken baby syndrome cases. Serves West Virginia only.

The Wisconsin Innocence Project (WIP) is a clinic at the University of Wisconsin Law School.  WIP reviews cases of actual innocence. Must be incarcerated in Wisconsin, have at least seven years left of your sentence, and have a significant chance that substantial new evidence may be found to support a claim of innocence. This newly discovered evidence (NDE) could be physical evidence that was not previously subjected to forensic examination, such as DNA testing.  NDE may also include non-physical evidence, such as from an eyewitness who was previously unknown or a recantation from a victim, if such a recantation is supported by other new evidence. Serves Wisconsin only.

The Women's Prison Association (WPA) offers a range of services aimed at helping women in the New York City area. Their direct service network is organized in three broad areas; Residential and Family Services; Reentry Services; and neighborhood based services.  Provides transitional planning and education in NY women's prisons, as well as HIV counseling and testing. Serves women in New York state only.