Criminal Justice Resources

Amnesty International

Compiles information about prisoner torture, beatings, rape, etc. to include in reports about U.S. prison conditions; also works on death penalty issues. Contact: Amnesty International, 5 Penn Plaza, New York NY 10001 (212) 807-8400. www.amnestyusa.org

Black and Pink

Black and Pink is an open family of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer prisoners and “free world” allies who support each other. A national organization, Black and Pink reaches thousands of prisoners across the country and provides a free monthly newspaper of prisoner-generated content, a free (non-sexual) pen-pal program and connections with anti-prison movement organizing. Contact: Black and Pink, 614 Columbia Rd., Dorchester, MA 02125 (617) 519-4387. www.blackandpink.org

Center for Health Justice

Formerly CorrectHELP. Provides information related to HIV in prison – contact them if you are not receiving proper HIV medication or are denied access to programs due to your HIV status. Contact: CHJ, 900 Avila Street, Suite 301, Los Angeles, CA 90012 (213) 229-0985; HIV Hotline: (213) 229-0979 (collect calls from prisoners OK). www.centerforhealthjustice.org

Centurion Ministries

Works to exonerate the wrongfully convicted, in both cases involving DNA evidence and those that do not. Centurion only takes 1-2 new cases a year involving actual innocence. They do not consider accidental death or self-defense murder cases, he said/she said rape cases, or child abuse or child sex abuse cases unless there is physical evidence. All case inquiries must be from the prisoner involved, in writing. Contact: Centurion Ministries, 1000 Herrontown Road, Princeton, NJ 08540 (609) 921-0334. www.centurionministries.org

Critical Resistance

Seeks to build an international movement to abolish the Prison Industrial Complex, with offices in Florida, California, New York, Texas and Louisiana. Publishes The Abolitionist newsletter. Contact: Critical Resistance, 1904 Franklin Street #504, Oakland, CA 94612 (510) 444-0484. www.criticalresistance.org

The Exoneration Project

The Exoneration Project is a non-profit organization dedicated to working to free prisoners who were wrongfully convicted. The Project represents innocent individuals in post-conviction legal proceedings; typical cases involve DNA testing, coerced confessions, police misconduct, the use of faulty evidence, junk science, faulty eyewitness testimony and ineffective assistance of counsel claims. Contact: The Exoneration Project, 312 North May Street, Suite 100, Chicago, Illinois 60607 (312) 789-4955. www.exonerationproject.org

Family & Corrections Network

Primarily provides online resources for families of prisoners related to parenting, children of prisoners, prison visitation, mothers and fathers in prison, etc. Contact: F&CN, 93 Old York Road, Suite 1 #510, Jenkintown, PA 19046 (215) 576-1110. www.fcnetwork.org

FAMM

FAMM (Families Against Mandatory Minimums) advocates against mandatory minimum sentencing laws with an emphasis on federal laws, and works to “shift resources from excessive incarceration to law enforcement and other programs proven to reduce crime and recidivism.” Contact: FAMM, 1100 H Street, NW #1000, Washington, DC 20005 (202) 822-6700). www.famm.org

The Fortune Society

Provides post-release services and programs for prisoners in the New York City area and occasionally publishes Fortune News, a free publication for prisoners that deals with criminal justice issues, primarily in New York. Contact: The Fortune Society, 29-76 Northern Blvd., Long Island City, NY 11101 (212) 691-7554. www.fortunesociety.org

Innocence Project

Provides advocacy for wrongfully convicted prisoners whose cases involve DNA evidence and are at the post-conviction appeal stage. Maintains an online list of state-by-state innocence projects. Contact: Innocence Project, 40 Worth St., Suite 701, New York, NY 10013 (212) 364-5340. www.innocenceproject.org

Just Detention International

Formerly Stop Prisoner Rape, JDI seeks to end sexual violence against prisoners. Provides resources for imprisoned and released rape survivors and activists for almost every state. Contact: JDI, 3325 Wilshire Blvd. #340, Los Angeles, CA 90010 (213) 384-1400. www.justdetention.org

Justice Denied

Although no longer publishing a print magazine, Justice Denied continues to provide the most comprehensive coverage of wrongful convictions and how and why they occur. Their content is available online, which includes all back issues of the Justice Denied magazine and a database of more than 4,500 wrongfully convicted people. Contact: Justice Denied, P.O. Box 66291, Seattle, WA 98166 (206) 335-4254. www.justicedenied.org

National CURE

Citizens United for Rehabilitation of Errants (CURE) is a national organization with state and special interest chapters (such as federal prisoners and sex offenders) that advocates for rehabilitative opportunities for prisoners and less reliance on incarceration. Publishes the CURE Newsletter, $2 annual membership for prisoners. Contact: CURE, P.O. Box 2310, Washington, DC 20013-2310 (202) 789-2126. www.curenational.org

November Coalition

Advocates against the war on drugs and previously published the Razor Wire, a bi-annual newsletter on drug war-related issues, releasing drug war prisoners and restoring civil rights. No longer regularly published, back issues are available online. Contact: November Coalition, 282 West Astor, Colville, WA 99114 (509) 684-1550. www.november.org

Prison Activist Resource Center

PARC is a prison abolitionist group committed to exposing and challenging all forms of institutionalized racism, sexism, able-ism, heterosexism and classism, specifically within the Prison Industrial Complex. PARC produces a free resource directory for prisoners and supports activists working to expose and end the abuses of the Prison Industrial Complex and mass incarceration. Contact: PARC, P.O. Box 70447, Oakland, CA 94612 (510) 893-4648. www.prisonactivist.org

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