h/t cik607
I recently contaced the The National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers for help getting a Pro Bono lawyer for my fiance and he emailed me about three pages worth of stuff that could help everyone else. Hopefully the moderators will make this a sticky.
I’m also adding his disclosure:
The National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers’ abiding mission is to ensure justice and due process for persons accused of crime, foster the integrity, independence and expertise of the criminal defense profession, and promote the proper and fair administration of criminal justice. NACDL is a professional bar association and, as such, our primary function is to serve the more than 12,000 members across the country who themselves are committed to preserving fairness within America’s criminal justice system. In addition to this, we lobby Congress for fair crime legislation, work for systemic improvements in the quality of representation for indigent defendants, and educate the media and the public about pressing criminal justice issues.
Enclosed are lists of organizations with contact information that can serve as potential resources for you.
In offering these potential resources to you, NACDL neither endorses nor vouches for the accuracy of their information.
We appreciate the time you took in writing to us. We wish you the very best.
Prisoner Resources
The Innocence Project
The Project handles cases in which DNA testing of evidence can yield conclusive proof of innocence. The Project does not handle cases that require a challenge to conclusive DNA testing.
100 5th Avenue, 3rd Floor
New York, NY 10011
Center on Wrongful Convictions
The Center on Wrongful Convictions will consider cases with a claim of actual innocence when DNA testing can support the claim, or when a minimum of 10 years remain on a prison sentence.
Northwestern University School of Law
357 E. Chicago Avenue
Chicago, IL 60611
Southern Center for Human Rights
The Southern Center for Human Rights represents individuals facing the death penalty, as well as prisoners in class-action lawsuits that challenge unconstitutional treatment in prisons and jails. Southern Center cases are generally limited to Georgia and Alabama.
83 Poplar Street NW
Atlanta, GA 30303-2122
Centurion Ministries, Inc.
Centurion Ministries (CM) works on behalf of the convicted innocent throughout the U.S. and Canada. CM also assists its clients, once they are freed, with reintegration into society on a self-reliant basis. CM will consider murder cases that carry a life or death sentence, if the defendant is indigent and has largely exhausted his or her appeals; and rape cases, if there is the possibility of using DNA testing to clear the convicted person.
221 Witherspoon St.
Princeton, NJ 08542-3215
Davrie Communications
Davrie Communications provides educational and practical assistance to men and women living with the realities of federal incarceration. In addition, Davrie serves as a valuable information resource to legal professionals with a genuine desire to support their clients.
13215-C8 SE Mill Plain #144
Vancouver, WA 98684
Prisoner’s Self-Help Litigation Manual
This valuable publication helps prisoners learn how to research the law, study their rights, determine their legal options, and take the necessary steps to protect their rights. The Manual costs $32.95.
Oceana Publications, Inc.
75 Main St
Dobbs Ferry, NY 10522-1601
Lewisburg Prison Project
Lewisburg Prison Project educates prisoners as to their civil rights and distributes a variety of legal bulletins and publications, written in non-technical laymen’s terms, at a minimal cost. The Project accepts stamps and self-addressed stamped envelopes as payment.
PO Box 128
Lewisburg, PA 17837
The Prisoner’s Guide to Survival
The Guide includes current legislation and court decisions affecting prisoners, actual-size example forms, appeals, Habeas Corpus actions, motions, constitutional rights complaints for state and federal prisoners, etc Cost is $49.95.
PSI Publishing, Inc.
413-B 19th St #168
Lynden, WA 98264
National Lawyers Guild
The National Lawyers Guild provides self-help law kits free of charge to assist inmates in representing themselves and their own cases or in assisting others. The self-help kits are written in an easy-to-use language that tells how to file civil complaints and how to deal with grievances and most other legal matters.
132 Nassau St. Room 922
New York, NY 10038
Other Resources
American Civil Liberties Union, National Prison Project
This organization offers the Prisoners’ Assistance Directory which includes contact information and services descriptions for over 300 national, state, local and international organizations that provide assistance to prisoners, ex-offenders and families of prisoners. It also includes a bibliography of informative books, reports, manuals and newsletters of interest to prisoners and their advocates.
http://www.aclu.org/prison/index.html
Human Rights Watch .
This organization has “Resources for Prisoners and Their Families” which categorizes legal resources, support organizations, and educational resources by state.
http://hrw.org/prisons/states/state.htm
Pro Bono Net
This organization has an online resource available to help find free legal aid programs, also categorized by state.
http://www.lawhelp.org
National Center on Institutions and Alternatives
NCIA’s goal is to reduce the reliance on institutions in criminal justice proceedings by utilizing alternatives such as community service, addressing substance abuse problems, and using a third party monitor. NCIA offers pre-sentence investigative services, parole release reports, and provides public information on criminal justice matters.
7222 Ambassador Rd.
Baltimore, MD 21244
Grassroots Investigation Project (GRIP)
The mission of The Grassroots Investigation Project is to empower family members of death row inmates and anti-DP activists to create partnerships with lawyers, journalists, and academicians for the purpose of conducting low-cost investigations of DP cases that may reveal innocence and help to bring about a death penalty moratorium.
Quixote Center
PO Box 5206
Hyattsville, MD 20722
National Legal Aid & Defender Association
NLADA is the nation’s leading advocate for front-line attorneys and other equal justice professionals—those who make a difference in the lives of low-income clients and their families and communities. Representing legal aid and defender programs, as well as individual advocates, NLADA is proud to be the oldest and largest national, nonprofit membership association devoting 100 percent of its resources to serving the broad equal justice community.
1140 Connecticut Ave NW Suite 900
Washington, DC 20036
EDPUBS
EDPUBS links people with resources in their communities such as drug or alcohol programs, educational programs (assistance with reading, writing, and math), volunteer programs, employment assistance, temporary shelter and housing resources, counseling, and other services.
PO Box 1398
Jessup, MD 20794-1398