HELP US END MASS INCARCERATION The Prison Policy Initiative uses research, advocacy, and organizing to dismantle mass incarceration. We’ve been in this movement for 24 years, thanks to individual donors like you.

Can you help us sustain this work?

Thank you,
Peter Wagner, Executive Director Donate

Legal resources for people in prison in North Carolina

North Carolina Prisoner Legal Services, Inc.

PO Box 25397

1110 Wake Forest Road

Raleigh, NC 27611

http://www.ncpls.org

ncpls@ncpls.org (Email)

919-856-2223 (Fax)

919-856-2200 (Main)


Serves: NC


Focus area/description: NCPLS advocates for the rights of those incarcerated in North Carolina state prisons. We provide the following services:

--NCPLS post-conviction attorneys evaluate claims regarding the validity of incarcerated person's conviction or sentence, and work to correct any errors either informally or through litigation. This work ensures that our clients don't spend more time in prison than law permits.

--NCPLS civil attorneys evaluate potential civil rights claims. These claims include use of force by prison staff; dangerous prison conditions; inadequate medical care; religious freedom; and free speech issues. NCPLS litigates these cases in court as resources permit. NCPLS also partners with the IOLTA-funded Safe and Humane Jails Project, which investigates issues arising out of county jails.

--When NCPLS cannot litigate a case, we still provide legal advice and self-help packets on post-conviction and civil issues.

North Carolina Prisoner Legal Services, Inc. confirmed this listing on July 16, 2025.


These national self-help guides may be useful to people in prison in North Carolina:

The Jailhouse Lawyers Manual is a free-to-print guide to legal rights and procedures designed for people in prison. It contains nine sections designed to help incarcerated people learn about their rights, file lawsuits in both state and federal court, attack their conviction or sentence, and address the conditions of their imprisonment. It also contains information about the rights of incarcerated people related to health, safety, religious freedom, and more. We suggest accessing the online version of the manual and mailing the relevant chapters to your incarcerated loved one.

The Jailhouse Lawyers Handbook is a free resource for people in prison who want to file a federal lawsuit addressing poor conditions in prison or abuse by prison staff. This guide will not help challenge convictions or sentences or provide guidance on actions in state courts. It also has 14 appendices that provide sample complaints, legal forms, and guidance on how to reach out to journalists, among other topics. You can download relevant chapters of the handbook and mail them to your incarcerated loved one or request to have a copy mailed to them.

The Prison Book Program produces a free legal resource for incarcerated people called the Insider’s Guide to Jailhouse Law. This guide provides a comprehensive and practical overview of the legal system, and it discusses important legal developments over the last two decades. It is available for free on their website in English and Spanish. You can email the Prison Book Program if you would like them to mail your loved one the guide.

A challenge to our colleagues:

We built the internet's first always-up-to-date list of legal services for incarcerated people. Can you make a similar list for a different kind of resource?

Problem: There are too many outdated resource lists floating around.

Our Solution: Have one resource list that one organization checks each year.

Our Method: Inspired by the Cincinnati Books for Prisoners group, we made a list of every legal services organization on every resource list we could find. Then we send a letter by snail mail to each organization each year asking them to confirm/update their listing. If they respond, we include them on the site for the next 365 days. All the organization needs to do is to sign the form we send them and mail it back in the enclosed envelope. If they don't respond, we keep them on our mailing list and try again next year.

This way, any incarcerated person using the list can be assured that the organization they are writing to recently did exist and was responding to mail. And if an organization fails to respond for some reason (staff turnover, postal problems, the dog ate our letter, etc.) they get another chance next year.

It's a win for everyone. We've built a database for legal services. What list can your organization edit?



Stay Informed


Get the latest updates:



Share on 𝕏 Donate