I received a request from an inmate asking where they could get free legal services. Most inmates do not have the ability to pay for legal services and sometimes get railroaded because they don’t have anyone to fight for them. Here is a list of organizations, in alphabetical order, that offer free legal services for inmates. Most of them are the state’s ACLU organization, or only operate in that state. At the end are three national organizations serving inmates in all states. I used the Prison Policy Initiative’s list to compile this information.
1. ACLU California
1313 West Eighth St., #200
Los Angeles, CA 90017
(213) 977-5253
(213) 977-9543 (no collect calls please)
2. ACLU Colorado
303 E. 17th Ave., Suite 350
Denver, CO 80203
(303) 777-5482
3. ACLU Connecticut
765 Asylum Ave
Floor 1
Hartford, CT 06105
http://www.acluct.org/en/requesting-legal-help
(860) 586-8900 Fax
(860) 523-9146 Phone
4. Florida Institutional Legal Services
PO Box 533986
Orlando, FL 32853
(407) 801-4350 phone
5. John Howard Assoc of Illinois
70 East Lake Street, Suite 410
Chicago, IL 60601
(312) 526-3714 Fax
6. ACLU Indiana
1031 E. Washington St.
Indianapolis, IN 46202
(317) 635-4059
7. Legal Services for Prisoners
Attn: Charles Cavenee
PO Box 12438
Overland Park, KS 66282
http://www.legalservicesforprisoners.org
(785) 296-8887 Main
8. Minnesota Disability Law
430 First Ave N, Ste 300
Minneapolis, MN 55401
(800) 292-4150
9. ACLU Montana
PO Box 1968
Missoula, MT 59806-1968
(406) 443-8590
10. North Carolina Prisoner Legal Services, Inc.
PO Box 25397
1110 Wake Forest Road
Raleigh, NC 27611
ncpls@ncpls.org Email
(919) 856-2223 Fax
(919) 856-2200 Main
11. NJ Office of the Corrections Ombudsman
P0 Box 855
Trenton, NJ 08625
http://www.state.nj.us/correctionsombudsman/
1-555-555-5555 Inmate only toll free number
(609) 633-2596 Main
12. ACLU Nevada
601 S. Rancho Drive, # B-11
Las Vegas, NV 89106
(702) 366-1536
13. Pennsylvania Institutional Law Project
The Cast Iron Building, Suite 304 South
718 Arch Street
Philadelphia, PA 19106
smyeh@pailp.org Email
(215) 925-5337 Fax
(570) 523-1104 Lewisburg Office
(215) 925-2966 Main/Philadelphia Office
(412) 434-6004 Pittsburgh Office
14. ACLU Rhode Island
128 Dorrance Street
Suite 400
Providence, RI 02903
(401) 831-7171
15. ACLU Virginia
701 E. Franklin St., Suite 1412
Richmond, VA 23219
(804) 644-8022
16. Disability Rights Vermont
141 Main St, Suite 7
Montpelier, VT 05602
http://www.disabilityrightsvt.org
(800) 834-7890 (toll free)
(802) 229-1355 local
17. ACLU Washington
901 Fifth Avenue, Suite 630
Seattle, WA 98164
(206) 624-2180
(206) 624-2184
18. National Lawyers Guild (National Resource)
132 Nassau Street, RM 922
New York, NY 10038
(Provides a free handbook for prisoners who wish to file a Section 1983 lawsuit in federal court regarding poor conditions in prison and/or abuse by prison staff. It also contains limited information about legal research and the American legal system.)
19. Lewisburg Prison Project (National Resource)
P.O. Box 128
Lewisburg, PA 17837-0128
http://www.lewisburgprisonproject.org/
(570) 523-1104 phone
20. Columbia Human Rights Law Review, Attn: JLM Order (National Resource)
435 W. 116th St.
New York, NY 10027
http://blogs2.law.columbia.edu/jlm/
jlm.board.mail@gmail.com
(212) 854-1601
(This organization only sells the Jailhouse Lawyer’s Manual Eleventh Edition (the JLM Eleventh Edition”) explains the legal rights of prisoners, and how to navigate through the justice process to secure those rights. You can download it for free. Cost to mail to inmates is $30.00)
Information for Friends and Family of Inmates 
Pingback: Free Legal Services for Inmates | Sharron Grodzinsky Author
Today I got a phone call from my son that’s in a federal prison in Virginia he just got transferred there on 7/7, well that same day he was assaulted by the guards I need some info on how to go about getting him out of that place please please ASAP
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Hello Rachel,
It might be difficult to get him moved. Once they transfer someone, the federal authorities usually won’t move them for 18 months. I have a few suggestions for you though. Did your son report the assault? If not, he should. You can call the prison yourself and ask to speak to his case worker and report it. I would email the prison warden with my complaint. You can find their email on the BOP site for each prison. I have done that but never got an answer. The other option is to send a letter to the warden complaining about his treatment. I did that one time and did get an answer. Maybe you might get an answer too.
Unless you have the money to hire an attorney, the only option I know is to try to enlist the ACLU. American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Virginia. 701 E. Franklin St., Suite 1412. Richmond, VA 23219. Their phone number is (703) 360-1096.
Unfortunately, inmates do not have many avenues for their rights unless they can afford an attorney.
I have found that the more noise you make though, the more they will listen to you. Keep calling the prison and ask to speak to someone in charge. Make sure to document who you speak to, when you speak to them and what the conversation was. That way no one can say you didn’t contact anyone, or that no one knew about it.
Lastly, advise your son to lay low and try not to give them any reason to single him out.
Good luck and take care.
Sharron
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Very informative
Congratulations
Advocate Saravvanan R
https://www.divorcelawyers.org.in
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