Help for Inmates
Building a Better Future... Through a Stronger Foundation
Help break the cycle of recidivism
Legal Resources
Actual Innocence Clinic
The University of Texas School of Law
727 East Dean Keeton Street
Austin TX 78705
(512) 471-1317
www.utexas.edu/law/clinics/innocence/
Screens and investigates claims that inmates are actually innocent of the offense they are serving time for. Immediate reply to inquiries, but not all cases are accepted.
Jailhouse Lawyer’s Handbook
c/o National Lawyers’ Guild
132 Nassau Street, Room 922
New York, NY 10038
(212) 679-5100
A resource for prisoners wishing to file a lawsuit regarding prison conditions and/or staff abuse. Write to request a copy, send $2 - check, money order or stamps. Handbook also available as a free download.
Jailhouse Lawyer’s Manual
Columbia Human Rights Law Review
Attn: JLM Order
435 West 116th Street
New York, NY 10027
www3.law.columbia.edu/hrlr/jlm/toc/
Explains the legal rights of prisoners and how to navigate through the justice process to secure those rights. JLM contains information on how to address legal issues on both the federal level and the state level, with an emphasis on New York State law. Written and updated by members of the Columbia Human Rights Law Review. Print copy of JLM may be ordered direct from publisher. 9th edition (2012) is $30 for prisoners including shipping - check or money order only. Entire JLM is available for free online.
The Innocence Network
innocencenetwork.org
An affiliation of organizations dedicated to providing pro bono legal and investigative services to individuals seeking to prove innocence of crimes for which they have been convicted and working to redress the causes of wrongful convictions. The Innocence Network lists member organizations listed elsewhere in this section including the Actual Innocence Clinic, the Innocence Project, the Innocence Project of Texas, the Innocence Project of Thurgood Marshall School of Law, the Innocence Project of Wesleyan University and others.
The Innocence Project
40 Worth St., Suite 701
New York, NY 10013
(212) 364-5340
Assists prisoners whose innocence can be proven through DNA testing. Send a brief factual summary of cases involving biological evidence or DNA with a list of evidence used against defendant. No other documents should be submitted for initial review.
The Innocence Project of Texas
1511 Texas Avenue
Lubbock, TX 79409
(806) 744-6525
Dedicated to investigating claims of innocence made by inmates and others who have been convicted of crimes they did not commit. To submit a case for investigation, send a letter including information about the crime of conviction, your contact information, and a description of any evidence that could help to prove your innocence. Please note the following initial guidelines:
Felony convictions only
Texas convictions only
No Federal cases
Must be alleging “actual innocence,” which is defined as either a situation in which a crime did occur but you did not have anything to do with it or a situation in which no crime occurred.
Conviction must be final
Innocence Project of Thurgood Marshall school of law
Earl Carl Institute for Legal and Social Policy
Texas Southern University
3100 Cleburne Street
Houston, Texas 77004
(713) 313-1139 (ask for the Center for Criminal Justice Associate Director)
www.earlcarlinstitute.org/centers/criminal_justice/innocence_project.shtml
Reviews claims of actual innocence made by inmates who have been wrongfully convicted. Only handles claims of actual innocence involving DNA evidence testing, mistaken identification, or evidence that a crime never actually occurred. Does not challenge the original trial but rather looks for new evidence to disprove original conviction.
Innocence Project of Wesleyan University
Texas Wesleyan University School of Law
1515 Commerce Street
Fort Worth, TX 76102
Does not provide legal aid but rather investigates claims of actual innocence. To submit a case for investigation, please write in with the following details:
Full Name
Phone Number
Criminal Charge
County of Prosecution
Cause Number(s)
Short summary of what happened
Why the individual believes that he/she is “actually innocent.”
Legal Services Corporation
3333 K Street, NW, 3rd Floor
Washington, DC 20007-3522
(202) 295-1500
Contact for referrals offering legal aid in your area.
Lone Star Legal Aid
1415 Fannin Street
Houston, TX 77002
(800) 733-8394
Fourth largest service provider of free legal aid in the United States. Serves 72 counties mostly in East Texas.
MUSLIM LEGAL FUND OF AMERICA
2701 W. 15th St. Suite 640
Plano TX 75075
(972) 331-9021
Committed to preserving, safeguarding, and promoting the civil rights of Muslims in the US. Legal assistance in some cases.
National LEGAL AID & DEFENDER Association
1140 Connecticut Ave NW Ste. 900
Washington DC 20036
(202) 452-0620
Directory of Legal Aid and Defender Offices (2007-08) lists over 3,000 civil legal aid and public defender offices in the US, local and national support and resource centers, and sentencing advocates and mitigation specialists who work with public defenders and other criminal defense attorneys - $100.
Oxford University Press
2001 Evans Road
Cary, North Carolina 27513
(800) 445-9714
Publishes the following legal manuals. Check or money only. Please add $5.50 shipping for the first book, $1.50 for each additional book.
Prison Legal News
P.O. Box 2420
West Brattleboro, VT 05303
(802) 257-1342
An independent 56-page monthly magazine that provides a cutting edge review and analysis of prisoner rights, court rulings and news about prison issues. PLN has a national (U.S.) focus on both state and federal prison issues, with international coverage as well. PLN provides information that enables prisoners and other concerned individuals and organizations to seek the protection and enforcement of prisoner’s rights at the grass roots level. PLN is published by the Human Rights Defense Center. $30 for one year subscription for prisoners. Also offers online resources - some free and some paid - including listserv, research, and articles.
SOUTHERN POVERTY LAW CENTER
400 Washington Ave.
Montgomery AL 36104
(334) 956-8200
splcenter.org
Civil rights organization dedicated to fighting hate and bigotry and to seeking justice for the most vulnerable members of society. Advocates for prisoners’ rights and offers some legal resources.
TEXAS CRIMINAL DEFENSE LAWYERS ASSOCIATION
6808 Hill Meadow Drive
Austin, TX 78736
(512) 478-2514
Referrals to attorneys; some pro bono.
Texas Rio Grande Legal Aid
300 South Texas Boulevard
Weslaco, TX 78596
(800) 369-0574
Third largest legal services provider in the nation and the largest in the state of Texas. Provides free legal services to low-income residents in sixty-eight counties of Southwest Texas. Offices in Austin, San Antonio, Brownsville, Laredo, El Paso, Del Rio and more.
Volunteer Legal Services of Central Texas
816 Congress Ave. Suite 701
Austin, TX 78701
(512) 476-5550
Helps low-income clients access the civil justice system by providing volunteer attorneys who donate free legal advice and representation.
Free Legal Help and Other Freely Available Legal Information
ABA - Consumers' Guide to Help
ABA - probono services directory
Ask a law question - get an answer asap
Ask a lawyer & search answers - lawyers.com
DOJ - free legal services provider directory
Deskovic Foundation - wrongful convictions
Find free legal aid programs & info by state
Free legal advice from top rated lawyers
InjusticeAnywhere - wrongful conviction info
Lawyers.com - state law & agencies directory
Lawyers.com - criminal law info
Legal resources for the incarcerate
probono.net - lawyers serving the public good
probonolawyers.org - directory
searchquarry.com - court data base search
Besides the above information, the following links should provide ample resources and sources for your efforts in finding free legal help.
LEGAL HELP
The United States incarcerates more of its citizens than any other nation in the world. The increase in the jail and prison population from 300,000 to 2.3 million in the past 40 years has led to unprecedented prison overcrowding and put tremendous strain on state budgets.
In America, nearly one out of every three black men in their twenties is in jail or prison, on probation or parole, or otherwise under criminal justice control. Black men are eight times more likely to be incarcerated than white men. Without reform, it is estimated that 40% of the black male population in the State of Alabama will permanently lose the right to vote as the result of a criminal conviction
Across the United States, thousands of children have been sentenced as adults and sent to adult prisons. Nearly 3000 juveniles nationwide have been sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. Children as young as 13 years old have been tried as adults and sentenced to die in prison, typically without any consideration of their age or circumstances of the offense.
The United States incarcerates more of its citizens than any other nation in the world. The increase in the jail and prison population from 300,000 to 2.3 million in the past 40 years has lead to unprecedented prison overcrowding and put tremendous strain on state budgets. “Tough on crime” policy has created a growing underclass of ex-prisoners who are barred from productively re-entering society by increasingly numerous and onerous restrictions on things like applying for a driver's license, adopting a child, voting, and receiving federal aid for education or food in many states.
Free credit reports
You have the right to a free report once every 12 months from each of the three national credit reporting agencies, upon your request. Order your free credit reports online at www.annualcreditreport. com or by calling 877-322-8228.
You’re also entitled to a free copy if:
• You are unemployed and looking for work.
• You are receiving public assistance.
• You are denied a rental home, a checking or savings account, insurance or a job based on your credit.
• You are a victim of credit fraud (ID theft).
Nearly 650,000 people are released from America’s prisons each year. They return to their communities needing housing and jobs, but their prospects are generally bleak. The majority of ex-prisoners have not completed high school. In addition, close to three quarters of them have a history of substance abuse, and more than one third have a physical or mental disability.
These former prisoners are going home to some of the nation’s poorest neighborhoods, where they often lack stable social bonds and support networks and where there are few services to help them restart their lives. Given the huge gap between their complex challenges and their limited opportunities for addressing them, it is not surprising that recidivism rates are high. In fact, more than half (52 percent) of former state prisoners are back behind bars within three years after their release, either as a result of a parole violation or because they have committed a new crime.
This cycle of recidivism produces many negative consequences. Households that are already fragile become overwhelmed. Communities that are already struggling fall further behind. The lives of those who move in and out of prison are wasted. And the cost to taxpayers is enormous. Overall, the US spends more than $60 billion a year on prisons and jails. (It costs more than $23,000 to incarcerate someone in a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility for one year and approximately $3,500 per year for probation; incarceration in a state prison can run as high as $45,000 per year or more.)
Without the development of effective approaches for reducing recidivism, the problem is certain to grow. The number of Americans behind bars has increased steadily and now includes more than 2.1 million men and women. Almost all of them will eventually be released, and, unless something changes, more than half of them will not be successful in reentering their communities and will return to prison.
Additional Legal Disclaimer:
“Help For Inmates” cannot provide legal advice, representation, referrals, or guidance to those who need legal help. Nothing on this page (or our website) is intended to be legal advice or should be relied on as legal advice. If you or your loved one feels that you need legal advice, you should consult with an attorney of your choosing. Any listing or link on this page is provided as information for you to check on your own and should in no way be construed as a recommendation or endorsement of any particular link or listing.
Prisoner Support Resources
ACLU National Prison Project
915 15th street N.W.
Washington, DC 20005
www.aclu.org/prisoners-rights/
Dedicated to ensuring that U.S. prisons, jails, and other places of detention comply with the Constitution, domestic law, and international human rights principles. ACLU National Prison Project publishes numerous resources including:
“Prisoners’ Assistance Directory” (list of resources by state and by subject, please indicate your needs)
“Know Your Rights: Medical, Dental and Mental Health Care”
“Know Your Rights: Freedom of Religion”
“Know Your Rights: Publications Sent by Mail”
“Know Your Rights: Legal Rights of Disabled Prisoners”
“Know Your Rights: Environmental Hazards and Toxic Materials”
“Know Your Rights: The Prison Litigation Reform Act”
“Know Your Rights: Privileged and Non-Privileged Mail”
The NPP does not assist individual prisoners with criminal cases. Download above listed publications online or mail in to request printed copy. Please do not send any court documents or documents that you need returned. Note that wait times for printed publications via mail request may be very long due to the volume of prisoner correspondence.
ACLU OF TEXAS
State Headquarters
P.O. Box 8306
Houston, TX 77288-8306
(713) 942-8146
(888) 653-6498 toll free
ACLU of Texas - Austin Regional Office
P.O. Box 12905
Austin, TX 78711-2905
(512) 478-7300
ACLU of Texas - Brownsville Regional Office
P.O. Box 6087
Brownsville, TX 78523-6087
(956) 465-1905
Works in the courts, the legislature, and through public education to protect civil rights and individual liberty. Please do not send legal complaints or request for legal assistance to the above addresses.
CRITICAL RESISTANCE
1904 Franklin Street, Suite 504
Oakland, CA 94612
Building an international movement to end the prison industrial complex.
Department OF VETERANS AFFAIRS
810 Vermont Avenue NW
Washington, D.C. 20420
VA Benefits: (800) 827-1000
GI Bill: (888) 442-4551
Health Care Benefits: (877) 222-8387
Mammography Helpline: (888) 492-7844
Toxic issues, Agent Orange, Gulf War Syndrome, etc.: (800) 749-8387
Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment Program offered to those with an honorable discharge. Mail for application.
Direct Action for Rights And Equality
340 Lockwood Street
Providence, RI 02907
(401) 351-6960
Organizes low-income families in communities of color for social, economic and political justice.
Disabled American Veterans
Waco Regional Office:
1 Veterans Plaza, 701 Clay St.
Waco, TX 76799
(254) 299-9932
Houston Regional Office
6900 Alameda Road, Rm. 1033
Houston, TX 77030
(713) 383-2715
San Antonio Contact Office:
5788 Eckhert Road, Rm. 2A112
San Antonio, TX 78240
(210) 699-5064
Dedicated to building better lives for America’s disabled veterans and their families.
DISABILITY RIGHTS EDUCATION And DEFENSE FUND
3075 Adeline St. Suite 210
Berkeley, CA 94703
(510) 644-2555
Legal aid for cases involving civil rights violations related to disability.
HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH
350 Fifth Avenue, 34th floor
New York, NY 10118-3299
(212) 290-4700
Conducts investigations into human rights abuses and publicizes findings in local and international media.
NAACP LEGAL DEFENSE AND EDUCATIONAL FUND, INC.
99 Hudson Street, Suite 1600
New York NY 10013
212-965-2200
Legal aid focused on cases involving issues of racial justice.
National CENTER ON INSTITUTIONS AND ALTERNATIVES
7222 Ambassador Rd.
Baltimore MD 21244
(410) 265-1490
Criminal justice services to defense attorneys, defendants, inmates, and court systems throughout the US.
NATIONAL CURE
P. O. Box 2310
Washington, DC 20013-2310
(202) 789-2126
Grassroots organization believes that prisons should be used only for those who absolutely must be incarcerated and that those who are incarcerated should have all of the resources they need to turn their lives around.
NATIONAL VETERANS LEGAL SERVICES PROGRAM
c/o Veterans Consortium Pro Bono Program
PO Box 65762
Washington DC 20035
(202) 265-8305
Pro-bono legal program for veterans denied benefits.
PRISON ACTIVIST RESOURCE CENTER
PO Box 70447
Oakland, CA 94612
Working to expose and challenge the institutionalized racism and classism of the prison industrial complex. Resource directory free to prisoners upon request.
Project for Older Prisoners
National Law Center
2000 H Street NW
Washington, DC 20052
(202) 994-7001
www.law.gwu.edu/Academics/EL/clinics/Pages/POPS.aspx
Students assist individual low-risk prisoners over the age of 55 to help them obtain paroles, pardons, or alternative forms of incarceration.
http://www.tbnsecondchance.org/