Legal resources for people in prison in Ohio

617 Vine Street, Suite #1301

Cincinnati, OH 45202

http://www.ohiojpc.org

(513) 562-3200 Fax

(513) 421-1108 Main

Serves: OH

Focus area/description: OJPC is a nonprofit law firm. We work on prison reform in Ohio. We help inmates secure their civil rights. We do not handle inmates' criminal defense cases. Our Human Rights in Prison Project works with the clerk offices of the U.S. District Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit to help prisoners litigate prison conditions and other civil rights issues, such as Religious Rights and Excessive Use of Force. OJPC also helps prisoners' families understand prison procedures and their rights as family members.

Most of our prison work comes from Fussell v. Wilkinson, a class action suit OJPC won in 2005 to improve health care for Ohio's prisoners. We receive many letters and calls from prisoners and their families regarding medical/dental complains per week, which are catalogued and individually responded to. When a case is not life threatening, OJPC helps prisoners navigate the grievance process, compose their complaints, and assists in tracking their grievances, to ensure the system is working properly. OJPC advocacy at this level usually results in prisoner complaints being addressed and resolved.

Some of these letters are life threatening -- addressing issues such as such as kidney failure, cancer, and heart problems. In these cases, OJPC conducts research regarding the medical complaint and contacts local practitioners who volunteer their medical advice. If the complaint is deemed an emergency, we investigate this claim and intervene with the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction (DRC) to immediately address the medical emergency.

By cataloguing each complaint OJPC receives, systemic issues throughout DRC are often identified and addressed. This process is how OJPC identifies and addresses systemic prison health issues, such as: the medical co-pay system, the medical grievance system, appropriate medication and pain management, and environmental prison concerns (overcrowding, smoking, etc.) We also participate in regular, comprehensive prison site visits, in order to track individual prisons' compliance with the terms of the Fussell stipulation. During these visits, group and individual prisoner interviews are conducted, to get first-hand feedback on the quality of prison health care.

1540 Market Street, Suite 490

San Francisco, CA 94102

http://www.prisonerswithchildren.org

(415) 552-3150 Fax

(415) 255-7036 Main

Serves: National,CA

Focus area/description: LSPC advocates for the human rights and empowerment of incarcerated parents, children, family members and people at risk for incarceration. We respond to requests for information, trainings, technical assistance, litigation, community activism and the development of more advocates. Our focus is on women prisoners and their families, and we emphasize that issues of race are central to any discussion of incarceration. LSPC does not take on individual cases, but provides legal resources and general information with an emphasis on California law.

Columbia Human Rights Law Review, Attn: JLM Order

435 W. 116th St.

New York, NY 10027

http://www.columbia.edu/cu/hrlr/jlm.html#Order

Serves: National

Focus area/description: A Jailhouse Lawyer's Manual (JLM) is a handbook of legal rights and procedures designed for use by people in prison. Prisoners are often indigent and therefore lack access to legal counsel while in prison. The JLM informs prisoners of their legal rights, shows them how to secure these rights through the judicial process, and guides them through the complex array of procedures and legal vocabulary which make up this system. The JLM also instructs prisoners in techniques of legal research and explains the need to take note of important legal developments. With the JLM, prisoners can learn to use effectively the resources available in prison law libraries. Since publication of the first edition in 1978, A Jailhouse Lawyer's Manual has been used by tens of thousands of prisoners in institutions across the country. Prisoners have used the book to become informed of their rights and to address specific problems related to their treatment in prison or their convictions.

How do I place an order? Complete and send the order form below with a check or money order, payable to Columbia Human Rights Law Review to Columbia Human Rights Law Review, Attn: JLM Order, 435 W. 116th St., New York, NY 10027. If you send a money order, keep the receipt in case there is a problem with your order. We do not accept postage stamps as payment and also do not accept credit cards. Due to the nature of the institutional mail systems, we request that you allow up to eight weeks from the date of your order. Because our office is student run, your order may not be processed as quickly over school breaks. Orders to be sent to facilities in Michigan must be sent first class. Also, please inform us on this form of any restrictions on incoming mail that your facility may have (for example, no padded envelopes or first class mail only).

ORDER FORM
YOUR NAME:
YOUR ADDRESS:
YOUR PHONE NUMBER:
PERSON TO WHOM THE BOOK SHOULD BE SENT:
ID NUMBER (If applicable):
INSTITUTION:
ADDRESS
CITY:
STATE:
ZIP:
ORDER (Please circle the price): Standard shipping requires 4-6 weeks.
1st Class shipping 1-2 weeks. All prisoner orders are sent via 1st Class Mail

P.O. Box 128

Lewisburg, PA 17837-0128

http://www.eg.bucknell.edu/~mligare/LPP.html

(570) 523-1104 phone

Serves: National,PA

Focus area/description: The Lewisburg Prison Project, Inc. is a non-profit organization that provides legal and other assistance to prisoners in Central Pennsylvania. The Lewisburg Prison Project (LLP) counsels and assists prisoners who write LLP when they encounter treatment they perceive as illegal or unfair. LLP's geographic coverage area includes four federal institutions (Allenwood, Lewisburg, McKean, and Schuylkill), 11 Pennsylvania state prisons, and 34 county jails in the middle district of Pennsylvania. LLP writes to and visits inmates and assists them by talking to prison authorities, furnishing inmates with appropriate legal materials, and evaluating individual cases to determine if they wish to represent inmates in civil litigation. In addition to communicating with prisoners in central Pennsylvania, the LLP distributes publications to inmates nationwide at a nominal fee. A partial list of LLP's Legal Bulletins includes the following titles: Legal Research, Religious Rights, First Amendment, Access to Courts, Exhausting Administrative Remedies, Disciplinary Hearings, Racial/Religious Discrimination, Assaults, and Medical Rights. Most of these Legal Bulletins are available on-line. To order print copies by mail, you can write for a current list of publications and prices. Prices are always subject to change. As of September 2006, the following titles were available for the prices listed below:
Set 1: Litigation
__ 1.1 Civil Actions in Federal Court: How to select, file,and follow legal actions (2000) $3.00
__ 1.2 Legal Research: Guide to Legal Research (2000) $1.50
__ 1.3 Access to Records : How to get your records; privacy. $1.50 (1999)
__ 1.5 Federal Tort Claims (F.T.C.A.) (2002) $1.50
__ 1.8 Injunctive Relief (2002) $1.50
Set 2: First Amendment
__ 2.3 Speech, Association, Visitation (2000) $1.50
Set 4: Status
__ 4.1 Rights of Pretrial Detainees (2000) $1.50
Set 6: Due Process Inside Prison
__ 6.1 Disciplinary Hearings (2002) $1.50
__ 6.4 Urinalysis (2002) $1.50
Set 7: “Cruel and Unusual Punishment” 8th Amendment
__ 7.1 Assaults and Beatings: Assaults by staff or Inmates $1.50 (1999)
__ 7.3 Conditions of Confinement: Heat, exercise, etc. $1.50 (1999)
Set 8: Medical Care
__8.1 Medical Rights (2001) $1.50
__8.2 Psychiatric & Disability Rights (2002) $1.75
__8.3 AIDS in Prison (2000) $1.50
Set 9: Post-Conviction
__9.1 Post-Conviction Remedies (2000) $2.25
__9.2 Detainers: Choices and strategies (2000) $1.50
__9.3 PA Megan’s Law: Overview of requirements (2000) $2.00
Other Legal Information
__100.0 Self Defense Manual for PA State Prisoners Accused of Misconduct (Applies to Pennsylvania Prisoners only)$1.75
__101.0 Barron’s Law Dictionary (1996 Edition, 551 Pages, Paperback) $15.50
__102.0 The Prison Litigation Reform Act (2002) (Chapter in The Jailhouse Lawyer’s Manual Supplement 2002) $3.00
__103.0 Exhaustion of Administrative Remedies under the PLRA (2001) by John Boston $3.50

915 15th St., NW, 7th Floor

Washington, DC 20005

http://www.aclu.org/prison/

Serves: National

Focus area/description: The ACLU's National Prison Project is the only national litigation program on behalf of prisoners. Since 1972, the NPP has represented more than 100,000 men, women and children. The NPP continues to fight unconstitutional conditions and the "lock 'em up" mentality that prevails in the legislatures. Prionsers can write to NPP to order the following publications:

The NPP's Journal, a biannual newsletter featuring articles, reports, legal analysis, legislative news, and other developments in prisoners\' rights. An annual subscription is $35 ($2 for prisoners).

The Prisoners' Assistance Directory 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. Latest edition to be published in 2007 and is available online at http://www.aclu.org/prison/ .

Play It Safer describes sexually transmitted diseases, the signs of disease, the importance of safer sex, and the need for treatment. Eleven of the most common STDs are explained, from Chancroid to Trichomoniasis. The 27 page booklet also includes a national resource list for prisoners. Booklet bulk rates are 100 copies for $35.00, 500 copies for $150.00, 1,000 copies for $280.00. Send order requests to Jackie Walker.

To order any of these publications, send a check or money order to National Prison Project Publications, 915 15th St., NW, 7th Floor, Washington, DC 20005.

National Lawyers Guild

132 Nassau Street, RM 922

New York, NY 10038

http://www.jailhouselaw.org/

(212) 679-2811 fax

(212) 679-5100 phone

Serves: National

Focus area/description: This Handbook is a resource 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.

The Handbook is available for free online to anyone: prisoners, lawyers, families, friends, activists and others. To download it, go to: www.jailhouselaw.org/download.html

If you are unable to download the Handbook and would like to receive a copy via mail, please write to:

National Lawyers Guild
132 Nassau Street, RM 922, New York, NY 10038

OR

Center for Constitutional Rights
666 Broadway, 7th Floor, New York, NY 10012

Please note it may take a several weeks to deliver the Handbook due to a shortage of staff and resources. It is usually much faster to download the Handbook from this site and print it yourself.

PLEASE NOTE: This organization does not have the resources to give legal advice or representation, and will not respond to mail regarding these issues. Please send only orders or comments about the JLH itself.