Can PLS Help?
Prisoners’ Legal Services provides legal representation and administrative advocacy in civil (non-criminal) matters related to prisoners’ treatment in Massachusetts prisons and jails, and upon release on parole.
PLS may be able to help if…
- You are currently or formerly incarcerated in Massachusetts
- You have experienced one or more of the following problems:
- Inadequate medical or mental health care
- Assault by a staff member
- Unsanitary, unsafe or otherwise extreme conditions in a Massachusetts jail or prison
- Lengthy or arbitrary isolation or segregation, especially if the person is suffering from mental illness
- Other civil rights violations such as discrimination on the basis of your race, gender, sexual orientation etc.
Becoming a PLS Client
PLS received well over 2,000 requests for advice or assistance each year. Due to the volume of requests, wait time on our phone lines can get overwhelming. We conduct intake via letter mail. You can write to us at 50 Federal St., 7th Floor, Boston, MA 02110.
We accept calls from incarcerated individuals in Massachusetts and their family members on Monday (Tuesdays after a Monday holiday) afternoons from 1:00 PM- 4:00 PM.
On behalf of our clients, PLS…
- Educates and advises incarcerated individuals on prison and jail policies and procedures, including grievance and the grievance processes
- Documents, investigates, and, whenever possible, litigates instances when an individual is assaulted by a guard, including by interviewing the individual as soon as possible and requesting video footage or other evidence
- Advocates for the provision of appropriate medical and mental health care
- Files impact litigation to address systemic problems in prisons and jails or to hold the government or officials responsible for wrongdoing, or referring the client to another attorney willing to represent the client at no charge (pro bono)