Get Involved
Get Involved
There are several ways to get involved with PLS. We host a variety of events and always welcome passionate people to join us in our fight to ensure the rights of those incarcerated. Check out some of pro bono opportunities and events below. If none of these are a good fit, we also have some open roles and a variety of ways to donate!
Pro Bono Opportunities
We are working to expand our Pro Bono Project to enhance our clients’ abilities to vindicate their rights and hold prison officials accountable for unlawful behavior. While our greatest need is for pro bono attorneys to litigate individual civil rights cases that we refer, we aim to provide a range of litigation and non-litigation opportunities suitable for individual attorneys and firms of all sizes.
Pro Bono Referral Network
PLS refers civil rights and medical malpractice cases to qualified attorneys via our Pro Bono Referral Network. These cases often include claims for excessive force, failure to protect, deliberate indifference to serious medical needs, or discrimination, among other issues. PLS screens intakes and conducts an initial investigation to evaluate whether there is a sound basis for relief on the merits of the case and what procedural obstacles, if any, exist. We then refer suitable cases to pro bono or contingency fee attorneys.
For those interested in shorter-term litigation, we occasionally refer medical parole (compassionate release) clients whose petitions for release were denied by the Commissioner. Pro bono attorneys can then challenge the denial by filing a certiorari action in Superior Court.
While PLS is unable to co-counsel on individual cases, we can provide sample documents (e.g. discovery requests and motions) and offer advice and mentorship throughout the litigation.
To join our Pro Bono Referral Network, please first review our Attorney Expectations and sign up using this form. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to Sarah Blair and sblair@plsma.org.
Non-Litigation Opportunities
If you are an active or retired attorney or legal professional who wants to volunteer with PLS but can’t take on litigation, please reach out via email to Sarah Blair at sblair@plsma.org to discuss the opportunities we currently have available. Opportunities vary depending on our needs, but may include:
- Brutality Investigations: PLS’s Prison Brutality Project investigates allegations of guard brutality/excessive force and litigates or refers lawsuits based on the results of our investigations. Once we have gathered relevant documentation, we ask pro bono volunteers to review and summarize the record, assess the strengths and weaknesses, and make a recommendation as to whether there is a viable lawsuit that we can litigate or refer.
- Medical Advocacy: PLS receives thousands of intakes from incarcerated people each year, most of which are from individuals suffering from inadequate healthcare in the DOC and county facilities. Pro bono volunteers can help us by reviewing medical records, consulting with pro bono doctors where necessary, and writing advocacy letters on behalf of our clients. Where advocacy fails to achieve the desired results, our pro bono volunteers summarize the record, assess the strengths and weaknesses, and make a recommendation as to whether there is a viable lawsuit for injunctive relief.
- Medical Parole Petitions: The Massachusetts medical parole statute requires the release of individuals who are terminally ill or permanently capacitated. PLS works with pro bono counsel to file petitions for eligible clients. This work involves reviewing the client’s medical records, working with pro bono doctors to assess the client, ensuring that the client has a suitable parole plan, drafting and filing a petition with the Department of Corrections, and arguing on the client’s behalf at a hearing before the DOC Commissioner.
- Medical Parole Petitions: The Massachusetts medical parole statute requires the release of individuals who are terminally ill or permanently capacitated. PLS works with pro bono counsel to file petitions for eligible clients. This work involves reviewing the client’s medical records, working with pro bono doctors to assess the client, ensuring that the client has a suitable parole plan, drafting and filing a petition with the Department of Corrections, and arguing on the client’s behalf at a hearing before the DOC Commissioner.
- Public Records Requests: We occasionally need pro bono support requesting public records and summarizing or analyzing the information we receive.
Please note that undergraduates and law students who wish to work with PLS should apply to work with us through our internship programs. We do not have the capacity to supervise non-intern student volunteers at this time.
Systemic Advocacy
Interested in partnering with us to engage in larger systemic advocacy projects, including impact litigation? Please reach out via email to Sarah Blair at sblair@plsma.org. PLS generally makes decisions about what larger projects to undertake during our annual retreat in the fall, but it’s never too early to discuss potential opportunities on the horizon.
Medical Pro Bono Opportunities
The medical professionals who have worked with us have assisted PLS in a variety of ways, including educating staff, advising us on our medical advocacy for clients, and reviewing records. We invite medical professionals interested in working with us in any capacity to contact David Milton, dmilton@plsma.org.
Events
PLS is proud to hold several events each year that celebrate our donors, collaborators, and colleagues. In addition, PLS holds informative pro bono trainings in prisoners’ rights litigation and coordinates with community groups to host public information sessions around prisoners’ issues. Join us for our next event!
Upcoming Events
- Check back soon!
Past Events
- Nov. 29, 2022: Building Justice: PLS Annual Gala, Celebrating 50 Years of Advocacy. For more information, please see here.
- Jan. 19, 2022: Virtual Legislative Briefing on no-cost calls legislation
- Nov. 17, 2021: Building Justice: PLS Annual Virtual Gala. For more information, please see here.
- Oct. 14, 2021: Legislative Briefing – Two-Part Legislative Briefing on Parole, Part 2: Ending Life Without Parole – click here for an action alert with registration/zoom info, a flyer, and a sample script for sharing.
- Oct. 6, 2021: Legislative Hearing – Virtual Legislative Hearing – The Joint Committee on Election Laws held a virtual public hearing on Wednesday, October 6th. PLS submitted testimony in support of H.836 and S.474, An Act to protect the voting rights of eligible incarcerated people.
- Oct. 5, 2021: Legislative Hearing – Virtual Legislative Hearing on Correctional Services & Spending – The Joint Committee on the Judiciary held a virtual public hearing on several important bills related to correctional services and spending on Tuesday, October 5th. Important bills included An Act to Reduce Mass Incarceration, An Act to reform parole supervision in the interest of justice, An Act Relative to Inmate Telephone Calls (No-Cost Calls), An Act establishing a jail and prison construction moratorium, and An Act regarding decarceration and COVID-19.
- Sep. 22, 2021: Two-Part Legislative Briefing on Parole, Part 1: Parole Access and Medical Parole – see flyer here.
- Nov. 12, 2020: Second Chances Annual Gala – PLS was honored to hold our virtual annual gala with keynote remarks by Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley. If you missed it, you can check out a recording here.
- Nov 14, 2019: Taking the “CRIMINAL” Out of “CRIMINAL JUSTICE” – Staff Attorney Bonnie Tenneriello spoke at MHLAC’s conference about implementation of the CJRA and solitary confinement oversight.
- Oct 28, 2019: Unlock Democracy – Restoring Voting Rights to Incarcerated People – Executive Director Elizabeth Matos spoke about the movement to restore voting rights to incarcerated people in Massachusetts.
- Oct 28, 2019: Kickoff for Change – Many thanks to all who attended the launch of the PLS Justice Committee’s Special Initiatives Campaign!
- Oct 4, 2019: 20th Annual Criminal Law Conference 2019 – Litigation Director Jim Pingeon spoke about Medication Assisted Treatment in Corrections.
- June 25, 2019: No Pride in Prison: The Criminalization of LGBTQ People
- March 25, 2019: Legal Services Update: Immigration Detention Conditions Project
Join Our Team
Check our page below to see if we have current openings for employment or internships!