Skip navigation

Prisoner Support Directory Prison Activist Resource Center 2008

Download original document:
Brief thumbnail
This text is machine-read, and may contain errors. Check the original document to verify accuracy.
PARC Prisoner Support Directory Last Updated March 2008

PO BOX 70447 OAKLAND, CA 94612

Marie B. Choi
Pat Foley
Max Harris
madrone phoenix
Taeva Shefler

Community
Advisory Board
Rose Braz
B♀ (rita d. brown)
Angela Davis
Linda Evans
Pam Fadem
Ruthie Gilmore
Holmes Hummel
Dorsey Nunn
Andrea Pritchett
Frances Free Ramos
Elihu Rosenblatt

Prison Advisory
Board
Marilyn Buck
Mdume Olatushani
Yvonne Roach
Dr. Mutulu Shakur
The Angola 3:
Albert Woodfox,

(510) 893-4648

PLEASE NOTE ADDRESS CHANGE!

Core Volunteers
B♀ (rita d. brown)

1

Greetings,
March 2008
We hope this mail finds you well in body and spirit, and keeping up the struggle. This is the 2008 edition
of the PARC Resource Directory, which includes suggestions and referrals from prisoners. Please note our
address has changed. We thank those of you who have trusted us with your letters and stories, who
returned the evaluation forms, and passed the directory on for others to use. We apologize for this form
letter, but as you can imagine, we get far more requests for help and information than we can respond to
individually. PARC is an all-volunteer organization with no paid staff. We thank you for your patience. Be
advised it may take us 3-4 months to respond.
We sent you this directory as part of PARC’s Prisoner Solidarity Project. Enclosed you will find a packet
of helpful resources, including a directory of organizations, prison literature projects, referrals to some pen
pal groups, legal resources, and other information. Some new groups have been added to the 2007
directory; some have been dropped; and many addresses or phone numbers have been changed, so please
check this new edition.
Over the past year, PARC has also been involved in a project to document toxic exposure and other
environmental and human rights abuses in prison work programs, and to shut down a Department of
Justice-owned corporation; for more information see page 20.
Some of you may be inquiring about our big National Directory with listings for all 50 states. We are still
working on an updated version, but we hope to have it online in .pdf format soon. We are also considering
publishing options that might enable us to send it inside. Let us know if there are specific types of
information you need that you don’t find in the enclosed packet. We are not a law office or a legal referral
service; we cannot give any legal advice. Please contact any of those listed in the packet for more
assistance.
Our aim is to assist you with information and contacts you need, but also to help get the voices of
prisoners out to the public. We are always looking for ways to inspire grassroots activism and to engage
more people in the struggle. We always need information on prison conditions, so we welcome reports and
group complaints regarding medical neglect, brutality, prison slave labor, or other issues. Please send us
information to be publicized; we do publish some letters on our website. If we can use your name and/or
mailing address, please sign and return the evaluation form or write to us with explicit permission to do so.
We understand that many prisoners may prefer not to publish under their own name. In that case, we will
only identify by state and date if we excerpt something from your letter.
Please note: we do not keep a database of the prisoners we correspond with. For any further
correspondence, please clearly label the outside of your envelope or postcard “Second Contact—No
Packet Needed. Stamps and monetary support are needed and welcomed; please do not send selfaddressed stamped envelopes. To those on the outside: feel free to copy and distribute this directory as
widely as possible. If in the area, come visit us! There is always work to be done.

Herman Wallace, and

Stay strong, and keep in touch. Remember that it takes all of us united and working together to build a
more humane and very different world.

Robert King

In solidarity towards justice,

Wilkerson (free!)

PARC!

This 22-page resource directory has been published by the Prison Activist Resource Center, P.O.
Box 70447, Oakland, CA, 94612 510.893.4648. Please mail us the evaluation form with updates.

PARC Prisoner Support Directory Last Updated March 2008

NATIONAL ADVOCACY
ORGANIZATIONS
Alliance of Incarcerated
Canadians/Foreigners in American
Prisons (AICAP)
16770 S. Watertower Dr. #166860
Kincheloe, MI 49788
V: 416-968-9417
http://www.angelfire.com/mi2/aicap/
UPDATED! The American Arab AntiDiscrimination Committee (ADC)
1732 Wisconsin Ave NW
Washington DC 20007
V: 202-244-2990
http://www.adc.org
Write to report incidents of discrimination.
American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)
National Prison Project
th
915 15th St. NW 7 Floor
Washington DC 20005
V: 202-393-4930
http://www.aclu.org/prison/index.html
Write for list of publications and the contact
info for the ACLU office in your state.
ACLU of Texas Prison and Jail
Accountability Project
P.O. Box 12905 Austin, TX 78711-2905
V: 512-478-7300 F: 512-478-7303
http://www.aclutx.org/projects/prisons.php
Write for their free 49-page Prisoner
Resource Guide (available on their website).
Contains "summaries of the law on common
prisoner problems" and extensive listings of
advocacy groups for Texas prisoners.
UPDATED! American Friends Service
Committee Prisoners Resource Center
89 Market Street, 6th floor
Newark, NJ 07102
V: 973-643-2205 F: 973-643-8924
http://www.afsc.org
Has criminal justice programs in various
states. Parole & post-release services
offered.
Anarchist Black Cross
P.O. Box 667233 Houston, TX 77266-7233
http://www.anarchistblackcross.org
Write for their "ABC Information and
Resources Guide" (available for download
on their website). Contains essays on the

2

politics of the ABC and addresses for local
chapters that do prisoner support.
UPDATED! Barrios Unidos
1817 Soquel Avenue Santa Cruz, CA 95062
V: 831-457-8208 F: 831-457-0389
http://www.barriosunidos.net
Post-release services. Performs
Pow-wow/ Cinco De Mayo/Juneteenth
ceremonies at Tracy and info packet related
to cultural traditions.
Battered Women's Justice Project
Criminal Justice Office
2104 4th Ave. South, Suite B
Minneapolis, MN 55404
V: 612-824-8768 or 800-903-0111 ext. 1
F: 612-824-8965
http://www.bwjp.org
We provide assistance and information to
battered women charged with crimes and to
their defense teams. We do not provide
direct legal representation. Women in prison
can subscribe to our newsletter "Double
Time" for free.
California Coalition for Women Prisoners
1540 Market St. #6
San Francisco, CA 94102
V: 415-255-7036 ext. 314 F: 415-522-3150
http://womenprisoners.org
Runs and action center and produces
newsletter “The Fire Inside”
California Prison Focus
2940 16th St. #B5 San Francisco CA 94103
V: 415-252-9211 F: 415-252-9311
http://www.prisons.org
Provides several different services, including
advocacy, investigations into control units in
the CA prison system, visits and limited
family support. Write for quarterly newsletter
“Prison Focus.”
Chicano Mexicano Prison Project
PO Box 620095 San Diego, CA 92162
http://www.uniondelbarrio.org/cmpp/index.ht
ml
Citizens United for Rehabilitation of
Errants (CURE) National Office
P.O. Box 2310
National Capitol Station
Washington DC 20013-2310
V: 202-789-2126

This 22-page resource directory has been published by the Prison Activist Resource Center, P.O.
Box 70447, Oakland, CA, 94612 510.893.4648. Please mail us the evaluation form with updates.

PARC Prisoner Support Directory Last Updated March 2008

http://www.curenational.org
A prisoner advocacy group with chapters in
all 50 states. Write for contact info for the
CURE chapter in your state.
Coalition for Prisoners’ Rights
Prison Project of Santa Fe
PO Box 1911 Santa Fe, NM 87504
V: 505-982-9520
Monthly newsletter free to currently and
formally incarcerated individual and family
members. Stamps and donations needed.
UPDATED! Colorado Criminal Justice
Reform Coalition
1212 Mariposa St. #6 Denver, CO 80204
V: 303-825-0122 F: 303-825-0304
http://www.ccjrc.org
A network of organizations, faith
communities, and individuals working to
reverse the trend of mass incarceration in
Colorado. Quarterly newsletter: ‘Colorado
Justice Report’. Re-entry guide for parolees,
referrals & community resource list. "
UPDATED! Critical Resistance: Beyond
the Prison Industrial Complex
National Office: 1904 Franklin St. Ste. 504
Oakland, CA 94612
V: 510-444-0484
http://www.criticalresistance.org
Northeast Regional Office:
976 Longwood Ave., Bronx, NY 10459
v: 718-676-1672
crne@criticalresistance.org
Southern Regional Office:
930 N. Broad St. New Orleans, LA, 70119
V: 504-304-3792
crsouth@criticalresistance.org
Critical Resistance provides information on
the prison industrial complex and produces
quarterly newspaper “The Abolitionist.”
Please do not contact for legal help. CR has
chapters in Baltimore, Chicago, Gainesville,
Los Angeles, New Orleans, New York City,
Tampa-St. Petersburg, and Washington DC.
UPDATED! Disability Rights Education
and Defense Fund, Inc.
2212 6th St. Berkeley, CA 94710
V: 510-644-2555 F: 510-841-8645
http://www.dredf.org
Provides assistance to state prison inmates
concerning medical access, provides
referrals throughout nation. Write for list of
publications on disability civil rights and

3

newsletter subscription.
UPDATED! Drug Policy Alliance
818 Bancroft Way Berkeley, CA 94710
V: 510-208-7711 F: 510-208-7722
http://www.drugpolicy.org
One of the leading U.S. organizations
promoting alternatives to the war on drugs,
with extensive on-line library, reports on
drug policy reform by state, public health
alternatives to criminalization, and more.
Free Battered Women
1540 Market St., Suite 490
San Francisco, CA 94102
V: 415-255-7036 ext. 320 F: 415-552-3150
http://www.freebatteredwomen.org
"In California, the majority of women
prisoners are survivors of domestic violence;
some are doing time for defending
themselves and their children, or were
forced to confess to crimes. Join the
movement to free battered women from
prison."
NEW! Heart of the Earth Survival School
Prison Program
National Indian Prisoner Support Network
C/o Ted Means, Vernon Bellecourt
1209 Fourth St, S.E.
Minneapolis, MN 55414
NEW! Human Rights Coalition
Human Rights Coalition
4134 Lancaster Ave, Philadelphia, PA
19104 V: 215.387.6155
e: info-AT-hrcoalition.org
The Human Rights Coalition (HRC) was
founded in 2001 based on the radical notion
that there was a vital segment of the
population missing from the organizing work
against prisons: the families and loved ones
of the over two million prisoners in this
country. Not just as spokespeople or tokens,
but in decision-making positions, deciding
what campaigns to do and what issues to
address. Incarcerated brothers took this
idea, and asked their family members as
well as some supporters to take the lead in
building such an organization, and the HRC
was born.
UPDATED! The Jericho Movement
P.O. Box 1272 NY, NY 10113
V: 718-949-5153
www.thejerichomovement.com

This 22-page resource directory has been published by the Prison Activist Resource Center, P.O.
Box 70447, Oakland, CA, 94612 510.893.4648. Please mail us the evaluation form with updates.

PARC Prisoner Support Directory Last Updated March 2008

The Jericho Movement is a political prisoner
support group working towards prison
abolition.
Justice Now
1322 Webster St, Suite 210
Oakland, CA 94612
V: 510-839-7654 F: 510-839-7615
http://www.jnow.org
Focuses soley on the needs of women
prisoners. They work on alternative
`sentencing, document human rights abuses
in prison, and their Building a World without
Prisons project (works with women prisoners
to get their words and art in the media)
UPDATED! Malcolm X Grassroots
Movement
1-877-248-6095
http://www.mxgm.org
“The Malcolm X Grassroots Movement is an
organization of Afrikans in America/New
Afrikans whose mission is to defend the
human rights of our people and promote
self-determination in our community.” NYC
Office: 36A Ralph Ave Brooklyn, NY 11221
V: 718-254-8800 Mississippi Office:
PO Box 16051 Jackson, MS 39236
V: 601-353-5566 Alabama Office:
119 Third Ave West Birmingham, AL 35204
V: 205-910-7952 California Office:
PO Box 3585 Oakland, CA 94609 Georgia
Office: 123 Main St, Atlanta, GA 12345
Middle Ground Prison Reform
139 East Encanto Dr. Tempe AZ 85281
V: 480-966-8116
http://www.middlegroundprisonreform.org
Working for Arizona's prisoners and their
families since 1983. Main areas of activity
are: 1) public education about the need for
criminal justice reform 2) legislative
advocacy on behalf of prisoners and their
visitors 3) litigation to protect and define the
rights and responsibilities of prisoners and
their supporters 4) referral to community
resources for ex-offenders. Spanishspeaking volunteers available.
The National Center on Institutions and
Alternatives (NCIA)
7222 Ambassador Rd. Baltimore, MD 21244
V: 410-265-1490
http://www.ncianet.org
NCIA offers parole advocacy services to
inmates seeking parole, transfer between

4

institutions, or death penalty mitigations.
UPDATED! National Center for Lesbian
Rights
http://www.nclrights.org
Provides legal referrals for LGBTQQII…
California Office: 870 Market St. Suite 370
San Francisco, CA 94102 V: 415-392-6257
Florida Office: 3170 Third Ave North St.
Petersburg, FL 33713 V: 727-490-4260
Washington, DC Office 1325 Massachusetts
Ave NW #600 Washington, DC 20005
V: 202-737-0012
NEW! National Native American
Prisoners Rights/Advocacy Coalition
C/o Len Foster
Navajo Nation Corrections Project
P.O. Drawer 709 Window Rock, AZ 86515
National Network for Immigrant and
Refugee Rights
th
310 8 St., Suite 303 Oakland, CA 94607
V: 510-465-1984 F: 510-465-1885
http://www.nnirr.org
Helps monitor and share information to build
campaigns against immigration raids, police
collaboration with immigration enforcement,
abuses by immigration police or other law
enforcement agents, and BICE and other
DHS activity in workplaces, neighborhoods,
and public spaces.
The Network/ La RED Ending Abuse in
Lesbian, Bisexual Women’s and
Transgender Communities
P.O. Box 6011 Boston, MA 02114
V: 617-695-0877; hotline: 617-423-SAFE
http://www.thenetworklared.org
Services include confidential hotline,
emergency shelter, advocacy, and free
support groups for lesbians, bisexual
women, and transgender folks fleeing
domestic violence.
The November Coalition
282 West Astor Colville, WA 99114
V: 509-684-1550
http://www.november.org
An organization of drug war prisoners and
their loved ones. Their goal is to enlighten
the public about unjust sentencing laws and
the destructive increase in the US prison
population. They publish "The Razor Wire",
$6/yr. for prisoners.

This 22-page resource directory has been published by the Prison Activist Resource Center, P.O.
Box 70447, Oakland, CA, 94612 510.893.4648. Please mail us the evaluation form with updates.

PARC Prisoner Support Directory Last Updated March 2008

5

UPDATED! Partnership for Safety &
Justice (formerly Western Prison Project)
P.O. Box 40085 Portland, OR 97240-0085
V. 503-335-8449 F: 503-232-1922
http://safetyandjustice.org/
Advocacy group working with prisoners,
families, and grassroots groups in OR, WA,
ID, MT, UT, NV, and WY. Publishes
quarterly "Justice Matters" as well as a
Prisoner Support Directory.

http://www.schr.org
Founded in 1976 to 1) fight the death
penalty and 2) challenge cruel and
unconstitutional treatment of imprisoned
men, women, and children throughout the
U.S South. Center attorneys represent
people facing the death penalty; provide
technical assistance to other attorneys; and
represent individuals confined to prisons and
jail in federal class action litigation.

Pennsylvania Prison Society
245 N. Broad St., Ste. 300
Philadelphia, PA 19107-1518
V: 215-564-6005 or 1-800-227-2307
http://www.prisonsociety.org
Does advocacy work, including prison visits
and publishes “Graterfriends,” a monthly
newsletter for people in prison which is
primarily inmate guided.

South Dakota Prisoner Support Group
P.O. Box 3285 Rapid City, SD 57709
V: 605-399-1830
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SouthDakota
PrisonerSupportGroup/
Following a rash of deaths in South Dakota
prisons, the PSG was formed to support
people on the inside, ex-prisoners, family,
and friends, and to draw attention to racist
injustice, medical neglect, and illegal
conditions inside S.D. prisons and jails.
Some members speak the Sioux language.

UPDATED! Prison & Jail Project
217 Forrest St. Americus, GA 31709-3943
V: 229-928-2080
Monitors prison and jail conditions in SW
Georgia only, publishes the newsletter
"Freedom ways."
UPDATED! Prisoner Information Network
Behind the Wire Prisoner Information
Network
235 West 100 South
Salt Lake City UT 84101
V: 801-355-0234
http://www.prisonernetwork.com
Began in 1995, when a small group of Utah
state prisoners, their families, and other
allies organized a coalition to give voice and
information to Utah's incarcerated. Habla
Español.

NEW! Transgender, Gender Variant, and
Intersex (TGI) Justice Project
1095 Market St., Suite 308 SF, CA 94103
V: 415-252-1444 F: 415-252-1554
http://www.tgijp.org
The TGI Justice Project works mainly with
prisoners in CA; they work on alternative
sentencing, writing advocacy letters trying to
help transgender prisoners get access to
hormones, finding attorneys and preparing
cases for attorneys. Prisoners can send
confidential legal mail to the above address,
c/o Alexander Lee, Attorney at Law.

ART AND MUSIC PROGRAMS

UPDATED! Project for Older Prisoners
C/o Jonathan Turley
George Washington University Law School
2000 H Street NW Washington, DC 20052
V: 202-994-7001 / 202-994-0537
http://www.gwu.edu/~ccommit/law.htm
Law students interview and evaluate older
and geriatric inmates in obtaining parole or
other forms of release from incarceration.
Operates in five states LA, MD, MI, NC, VA
and DC.

Art Behind Bars, Inc.
P.O. Box 2034 Key West, FL 33045-2034
V: 305-304-4772 F: 305-294-7345
http://www.artbehindbars.org
Art Behind Bars is an art-based community
service program that has a national call for
artists on the inside to donate their work as
a community service for use by other
nonprofit organizations. All donated art is
shown twice a year. Ex-prisoners are invited
to submit art to Art After Bars at the same
contact.

Southern Center for Human Rights
83 Poplar St. NW Atlanta, GA 30303-2122
V: 404-688-1202 F: 408-688-9440

UPDATED! Keeping the Faith: The Prison
Project
The Pat Graney Company

This 22-page resource directory has been published by the Prison Activist Resource Center, P.O.
Box 70447, Oakland, CA, 94612 510.893.4648. Please mail us the evaluation form with updates.

PARC Prisoner Support Directory Last Updated March 2008

1419 South Jackson Street Studio 11
Seattle, WA 98144
V: 206-522-8151
http://www.patgraney.org
Founded in 1995, "Keeping the Faith: The
Prison Project" is a series of workshops with
incarcerated women in WA, MA, FL, and
Brazil focusing on writing, movement, and
performance skills provided through lecture
demonstrations, performances, and classes.
Outside In
P.O. BOX 5714 Santa Fe, NM 87502
V: 505-986-6054
http://www.outsideinproductions.org
Brings free live music and performing arts
presentations to prisons and juvenile
detention centers in New Mexico. A great
organization to contact if starting an arts
program anywhere in the country.
Prison Art
PO Box 69586
Seattle, WA 98168-09586
http://www.prisonart.org
The Prison Art Project
Provides an online outlet for the sale of
crafts and artwork created by prisoners. Do
not submit original art. Send a SASE for a
free brochure and instructions.
Prison Art
P.O. Box 69586
Seattle, WA 98168-9586
http://www.prisonsfoundation.org
Produces monthly catalog of prisoner art
“Art for Justice”; maintains walk-in gallery
and occasional events. Write for info.
NEW! Prisons Foundation
1600 K Street NW #501
Washington DC 20036
V: 202-393-1511
Prison Creative Arts Project (PCAP)
3187 Angell Hall Ann Arbor, MI 48109
V: 734-647-7673 F: 734-763-3128
http://www.lsa.umich.edu/english/pcap
pcapinfo@umich.edu
PCAP facilitates fine arts, creative writing,
and theatre workshops in juvenile detention
centers and prisons. Organizes/curates
annual art exhibit by Michigan prisoners,
with all income going back to the artists.

BOOKS AND READING

6

PROJECTS
Many thanks to the Books4Prisoners Crew,
who put together most of this list; be sure to
order their fine Resource Directory!
UPDATED! AK Press
674-A 23rd St. Oakland, CA 94612
V: 510-208-1700
http://www.akpress.org
AK Press publishes and distributes a wide
variety of radical literature and audio, many
directly relating to prisoner and policing
issues. Many titles are written by prisoners
themselves. Offers prisoners a 30%
discount on any/all purchases. Distributes
some Spanish language titles but do not
have a Spanish language catalog.
UPDATED! American Bible Society
1865 Broadway New York NY 10023-7505
V: 1-800-32-BIBLE
http://www.americanbible.org
Free bibles including large print and study
guides. They can arrange with a chaplain to
have books sent if necessary. Will send
books in Spanish upon request.
Rock of Ages Prison Ministry
Prisoners Bible Institute
P.O. Box 2308 Cleveland, TN 37320
V: 423-479-3243
Free King James Bible, correspondence
course. Offers New Testament study course
through the PBI.
UPDATED! Asheville Prison Books
Programs
C/o The Readers Corner
31 Montford Avenue Asheville, NC 28801
V: 828-254-3025
www.main.nc.us/prisonbooks/links.html
Sends books to individual prisoners in the
Southeast only. Also sends their National
Prisoners Resource Directory to prisoners
anywhere in the US. Free to inmates;
donations gladly accepted! Can sometimes
provide books in Spanish.
Association for Research and
Enlightenment
Prison Outreach Program
215 67th St. Virginia Beach, VA 23451-2061
V: 1-800-333-4499
http://www.are-cayce.com
Books about the life and work of Edgar
Cayce, meditation, and reincarnation.

This 22-page resource directory has been published by the Prison Activist Resource Center, P.O.
Box 70447, Oakland, CA, 94612 510.893.4648. Please mail us the evaluation form with updates.

PARC Prisoner Support Directory Last Updated March 2008

Prisoners are limited to one book every two
months. No catalog; when you write, give
them an idea of what topics you are
interested in.
Barre Center for Buddhist Studies
194 Lockwood Rd. Barre, MA 01005
V: 978-355-2347
http://www.dharma.org/bcbs/
We provide free books, in the Theravada
Buddhist tradition.
UPDATED! Books 2 Prisoners
C/o Iron Rail Bookstore and Publishing
511 Marigny St., New Orleans, LA
New Orleans LA 70117
V: 504-944-0366
http://www.freewebs.com/ironrail/
Books 4 Prisoners Crew
C/o Monkey’s Retreat Bookstore
P.O. Box 19065 Cincinnati, OH 45219
http://www.freewebs.com/books4prisoners/
Free books to prisoners in Ohio, Indiana,
and Texas only. Sends “Inside Out: A
Resource Guide for the Incarcerated” to all
US prisoners, send 85 cents in stamps,
embossed envelopes, or money order made
out to Books for Prisoners. Free world, send
$6. Does not accept county jail prisoners’
requests from outside of Ohio.
UPDATED! Book ‘Em
5125 Penn Ave. Pittsburgh, PA 15224
V: 412- 361-3022
http://www.thomasmertoncenter.org/bookem
Free books to prisoners. Request by
subject. A prisoner-published magazine,
Hubris from Somerset state prison is
available for a small fee.
Books Through Bars
4722 Baltimore Ave. Philadelphia, PA 19143
V: 215-727-8170
http://www.booksthroughbars.org
Sends progressive political and educational
materials at no charge to state and federal
prisoners in ALL states except MI and OR.
Donates books directly to county jail libraries
but does not accept individual requests from
county jail prisoners. Request books by
topic. No catalog. Donations including
artwork and stamps greatly appreciated.

7

172 Allen Street NY, NY 10002
V: 212-254-3697 x. 322
Ships to prisoners nationwide. Specializes in
political and history books. Occasionally
sends fiction and educational books. No
religious literature. Donations of stamps and
cash are appreciated. If you send a money
order, please make it out to the group’s
fiscal sponsor, ABC No Rio.
UPDATED! Books Through Bars—Ithaca
C/o Autumn Leaves Bookstore
nd
115 The Commons, 2 fl. Ithaca, NY 14850
V: 607-645-0250
An all-volunteer operated, community-based
organization that sends books mainly to the
most populated states: NY, TX, FL, CA, PA.
Ships to many other states throughout the
country as well.
Books to Prisoners
C/o Left Bank Books
92 Pike St., Box A Seattle, WA 98101
http://www.bookstoprisoners.net
Free books to prisoners nationwide.
Request by subject, no religious materials or
legal materials. Donations appreciated.
Does NOT ship to prisons that require all
books sent to be new.
Chicago Books to Women in Prison
C/o Beyond Media Education
7013 N. Glenwood Ave.
Chicago, IL 60626
http://www.chicagobwp.org
Free books to women prisoners only in CT,
FL, IL, IN, MS, and OH.
UPDATED! DC Prison Book Project
C/o Quixote Center
P.O. Box 5243 Hyattsville, MD 20782
V: 301-699-0042
http://www.quixote.org/ej/bookstoprisons/
Sends donated reading material to prisoners
and educates the public about issues
surrounding prisoner education and literacy.
Gainesville Books for Prisoners
P.O. Box 12164 Gainesville, FL 32604
V: 352-870-4006
http://www.civicmediacenter.org/links/2003/1
1/01/13.29.05.htm
Covers prisoners nationwide. Accepts
requests by topic of interest only.

UPDATED! Books Through Bars—NYC
C/o Bluestockings Bookstore
This 22-page resource directory has been published by the Prison Activist Resource Center, P.O.
Box 70447, Oakland, CA, 94612 510.893.4648. Please mail us the evaluation form with updates.

PARC Prisoner Support Directory Last Updated March 2008

8

Human Kindness Foundation
Prison Ashram Project
P.O. Box 61619 Durham, NC 27715
V: 919-383-5160
http://www.humankindness.org/project.html
Sends spiritual books free to prisoners,
prison workers, and those who cannot afford
them. You can receive 2 free books and a
catalogue of other “hard to find” spiritual
books. Provides one book written in
Spanish.

V: 812-323-7395
http://microcosmpublishing.com
Write for catalog. Offers 50% discount to
prisoners on some titles.

Inside Books Project
th
C/o 12 St. Books
th
827 W. 12 St. Austin, TX 78701
V: 512-647-4803
http://www.insidebooksproject.com
Sends free books and literature to prisoners
in Texas only. Does not accept requests for
hardcover, Bibles, pulp fiction, or
pornography. Send 1 37-cent stamp for
resource list and newsletter. Accepts
artwork donations for their yearly prisoner
art show.

Midwest Pages to Prisoners Project
C/o Boxcar Books 310-A S. Washington St.
Bloomington, IN 47401
V: 812-339-8710
http://www.pagestoprisoners.org
No California prisoner requests.

Islamic Education Center
2551 Massachusetts Ave. NW
Washington DC 20008
V: 202-332-8343 F: 202-234-5035
http://www.theislamiccenter.com
Free Koran and beginner or advanced study
guides. Can do return mail care of the
chaplain. Provides written information in
Arabic and English.
Jewish Prisoner Services International
P.O. Box 85840 Seattle, WA 98145-1840
V: 206-985-0577
Emergency Collect Phone: 206-528-0363
http://www.jewishprisonerservices.org
Offers the Jewish Bible, prayer books, and
other books of Jewish history and culture to
Jewish inmates only. Materials available in
Hebrew.
Maoist International Movement
P.O. Box 29670 Los Angeles, CA 90029
http://www.etext.org/Politics/MIM
MIM is a revolutionary anti-imperialist group
fighting criminal injustice, helping prisoners
to organize and educate themselves. Sends
books to prisoners, and offers prisoners free
subscription to our newspaper MIM Notes.
NEW! Microcosm Publishing
222 S. Rogers St. Bloomington, IN 47404

Midwest Books to Prisoners
C/o Quimby’s Bookstore
1573 North Milwaukee Ave., PMB 460
Chicago, IL 60622
http://www.freewebs.com/mwbtp
Free books to Midwest prisoners.

UPDATED! Prison Book Program
C/o Lucy Parsons Bookstore
1306 Hancock St., Suite 100
Quincy, MA 02169
V: 617-423-3298 (No collect calls)
http://www.prisonbookprogram.org
Does not send books to CA, MA, MD, MI,
PA, KY, LA, NV or TX. No computer books,
horror, romance, textbooks, true crime, or
white supremacist materials. Publishes the
National Prisoner Resource List (free to
prisoners nationwide) and resource list for
LGBTQ prisoners. Can be delayed up to 3
or 4 months.
Prison Book Project
C/o Food for Thought Books
P.O. Box 396
Amherst, MA 01004-0396
V: 413-584-8975 ext. 208
http://www.prisonbooks.org
Serves prisoners in New England and TX
only. Request books by subject. No mailing
list or catalogue; no hardback books.
Prison Literature Project
2022 Blake St. Berkeley, CA 94704
www.grassrootshouse.org
No Texas or Oregon requests. Request by
subject. Stamps or donations greatly
appreciated.
UPDATED! The Prison Library Project
915 C West Foothill Blvd., Suite PMB 128
Claremont, CA 91711- 3356
V: 909-626-3066
http://www.inmate.com/prislibr.htm

This 22-page resource directory has been published by the Prison Activist Resource Center, P.O.
Box 70447, Oakland, CA, 94612 510.893.4648. Please mail us the evaluation form with updates.

PARC Prisoner Support Directory Last Updated March 2008

Free books on self-help, personal and
spiritual growth, wellness, and metaphysical
books. No law books, technical, or GED. No
catalogue. Free resource guide on request.
South End Press
7 Brookline St. # 1
Cambridge, MA 02139-4146
V: 1-800-533-8478
www.southendpress.org
Radical publisher with wide range
selections, including 1994 anthology
(Criminal Injustice) edited by PARC founder
Eli Rosenblatt. 50% discount to prisoners.
Urbana-Champaign Books to Prisoners
Project
C/o Spineless Books
P.O. Box 515 Urbana, IL 61803
V: 217-344-8820
http://www.books2prisoners.org
Sends various books to state & federal
prisoners in Illinois. Has large selection of
novels.
Women’s Prison Book Project
C/o Arise Bookstore
2441 Lyndale Ave. S.
Minneapolis, MN 55405
V: 612-721-3723
http://www.prisonactivist.org/wpbp

DEATH PENALTY RESOURCES
Campaign to End the Death Penalty
P.O. Box 25730 Chicago, IL 60625
V: 773-955-4841
www.nodeathpenalty.org
A national grassroots abolitionist
organization that works with prisoners,
family members and organizers. It has a
penpal program for prisoners on death row
and also publishes a newsletter called The
New Abolitionist (free to prisoners). They
have chapters around the country; write or
check website for regional offices.
Death Penalty Focus
870 Market St. # 859
San Francisco, CA 94102
V: 415-243-0143 f: 415-243-0994
http://www.deathpenalty.org
Dedicated to abolishing capital punishment
through grassroots organizing, media
outreach, nationwide coalition building, and
education of political and civic leaders and
the public about the death penalty and its

9

alternatives. Does not offer any legal
services or become involved in individual
legal cases.
NEW! D.R.I.V.E. Movement
http://drivemovement.org
Founded by Death Row prisoners, the
DRIVE movement seeks to unite the Death
Row community to push forward and initiate
change in the conditions. Through DRIVE
we have organized a group of passionate
prisoner activists who have put aside all
minor barriers of ethnicity, creed, color and
beliefs, to focus on the injustices forced
upon us by this system. Resists by means of
inner-resistance, outer-petition drives,
protests, direct actions, and hunger strikes.
Death Row Support Project
P.O. Box 600 Dept. P Liberty Mills, IN 46946
V: 260-982-7480
www.brethren.org/genbd/witness/drsp.htm
Offers pen-pal services to death row
inmates only. Can connect Spanishspeaking pen-pals on a limited basis.
National Coalition to Abolish the Death
Penalty
th
1705 Desales Street, NW 5 Floor
Washington DC 20036
V: 202-331-4090 F: 202-331-4099
www.ncadp.org
Publishes the "Abolitionist Directory" for $3
and "Lifelines", a quarterly newspaper about
what's going on in the struggle for prison
abolition. Puts out a monthly newsletter
called the "National Execution Alert" which
focuses on the scheduled executions for the
next month, giving a brief background of the
case with addresses of people to write to
fight to stop the execution.
Damamli Publishing Co.
25-A Crescent Drive, Suite 171
Pleasant Hill, CA 94523
www.damamli.com
Publishes the autobiography of Stanley
“Tookie” Williams, Blue Rage, Black
Redemption available for $28.49 (includes
shipping). CA residents add 8.25% sales
tax. Book is trade paperback.
V: 925-705-3027
NEW! Stanley Tookie Williams Legacy
Network
c/o Neighborhood House of North Richmond

This 22-page resource directory has been published by the Prison Activist Resource Center, P.O.
Box 70447, Oakland, CA, 94612 510.893.4648. Please mail us the evaluation form with updates.

PARC Prisoner Support Directory Last Updated March 2008
rd

820 23 St. Richmond, CA 94804
www.tookie.com
Stan Tookie Williams was the co-founder of
the Los Angeles Crips. In 1981 he was
convicted of murdering four people and
sentenced to death row at San Quentin Sate
Prison. He was executed on 12/13/05. He
became a famous activist struggling against
the death penalty and to overcome gang
violence, and fought up to his death bed. He
drafted the Tookie Protocol for Peace, a
national street peace initiative. This is a
framework for peace between gangs.
This Legacy network was founded to
achieve Tookie’s last wishes, including
violence prevention education, literacy
projects, and work for social justice,
including abolishing the death penalty. Go
online and read the Protocol for Peace! Sign
it and pass it along! Also read about his
case at http://www.savetookie.com

FAMILY AND VISITING
RESOURCES
UPDATED! Aid to Children of Imprisoned
Mothers, Inc. (AIM)
691 Garibaldi Street SW Atlanta, GA 30310
V: 404-223-1200 F: 404-755-3294
http://www.takingaim.net
An advocacy group for incarcerated
mothers. AIM can provide helpful
information for all women in prison who have
children but can only provide social services
in the Atlanta area.
Aid to Inmate Mothers (AIM)
P.O. Box 986 Montgomery, AL 36101-0986
V: 334-262-2245 or 1-800-679-0246
F: 334-262-2296
http://www.inmatemoms.org
Aid to Inmate Mothers provides visitation
and other services for Alabama's inmate
mothers and their children.
Family and Friends of People
Incarcerated
Roberta Franklin, Director
2243 Ajax Street Montgomery, AL 36108
V: 334-220-4670 or 334-834-9592
http://www.journeyforjustice.org
Center for the Children of Incarcerated
Parents
P.O. Box 41-286 Eagle Rock, CA 90041

10

V: 626-449-2470
http://www.e-ccip.org
Provides free educational material for
incarcerated parents and their children, as
well as therapeutic services, family
reunification services, and related
information. Many services are free.
Families of Parchman Prison Inmates
P.O. Box 2174 Starkville, MS 39760
V: 662-323-5878
www.angelfire.com/ms/prisoninmates/home.
html
We serve as a support center to anyone
who has a family member incarcerated or
recently released from Parchman and any
other prison in Mississippi.
Friends and Family of Louisiana's
Incarcerated Children
188 Williamsburg Street
Lake Charles, LA 70605
V: 337-562-8503
http://www.fflic.org
FFLIC is fighting for the closure of Swanson
and Jetson Centers for Youth and for an
increase in community-based services that
help our children grown and thrive in their
own homes and communities.
NEW! Families United for Prison Reform
12625 Frederick St. #I5-141, Moreno Valley,
CA 92553 v: 951-210-9149
http://www.californiaprisonreform.org
FU4PR is sponsoring two initiatives for the
2008 general election in California to
increase prisoner rights and sentencing.
Families United for Reform Prison
Ministry
General Board of Global Ministries
The United Methodist Church
475 Riverside Drive NY, NY 10115
V: 1-800-862-4246
Helps prisoners' families with visitation,
transportation vendors, parole board
information, and children's events. Offers
services and information in Spanish.
Family and Corrections Network
32 Oak Grove Rd. Palmyra, VA 22963
V: 434-589-3036 F: 434-589-6520
www.fcnetwork.org
Provides information about programs
serving families of prisoners. Publishes FCN
report tri-annually, which focuses on a topic

This 22-page resource directory has been published by the Prison Activist Resource Center, P.O.
Box 70447, Oakland, CA, 94612 510.893.4648. Please mail us the evaluation form with updates.

PARC Prisoner Support Directory Last Updated March 2008

important to families with prisoners. Offers
technical "program design" assistance and
training. Also offers pamphlets to
Incarcerated Fathers and Children of
Prisoners. Limited written info in French.
UPDATED! Family Support America
307 West 200 S, Suite 2004
Salt Lake City, UT 84101
http://www.familysupportamerica.org
Provides information about family programs,
including prison projects
Hour Children, Inc.
36-11A 12th St. Long Island, NY 11106
V: 718-433-4724
Mission is to support mothers and their
children. Provides resources and services
outside and inside NY state prisons.
Provides services in Spanish.
UPDATED! The Incarcerated Mothers
Program Edwin Gould Services for
Children
1968 2nd Ave. 2nd floor
New York NY 10029
V: 212-876-0367
Provides advocacy, foster care prevention,
counseling, and vocational training. Also
runs "Achievers' Girls and Boys Shine"
program for children ages 9-19 whose
parents have been or are incarcerated,
Saturday activity groups, and "Grandparents
as Parents" support group.
Justice Works Community
1012 8th Ave. Brooklyn, NY 11215
V: 718-499-6704 F: 718-832-2832
Sponsors "Mothers in Prison, Children in
Crisis" campaign to end mandatory
minimum sentencing for drug law violations.
National Institute of Corrections,
Information Center
791 N. Chambers Road Aurora, CO 80011
V: 1-800-877-1461 F: 303-682-0558
http://www.nicic.org
Provides the "Directory of Programs Serving
Families of Adult Offenders" to prison
libraries, chaplains, and prisoners' families,
not directly to prisoners.
Prisoner Visitation and Support (PVS)
1501 Cherry Street Philadelphia, PA 19102
V: 215-241-7117 F: 215-241-7227
http://www.prisonervisitation.org

11

Provides institutional visits to prisoners only
in federal and military prisons nationwide.
Limited services for Spanish-speaking
prisoners.
Prison Calls Online
(Formerly known as Tele-Net Inc.)
P.O. Box 620909 Oviedo, FL 32762
V: 1-888-925-1400 / 7800
F: 1-888-921-8500
http://www.prisoncallsonline.com
www.telenetinc.net
Helps families pay less for their collect
prison calls.
NEW! San Francisco Children of
Incarcerated Parents Partnership.
P.O. Box 293, 1563 Solano Ave., Berkeley, CA,
94707. http://www.sfcipp.org
2.4 million U.S. children have a parent behind
bars today. The partnership formed to improve
the lives of incarcerated children and to demand
a “Bill of Rights” for them, downloadable from
the website in English and Spanish.
Women's Prison Association and Hooper
Home
110 Second Ave. New York NY 10003
V: 212-674-1163 F: 212-677-1981
http://www.wpaonline.org
Provides foster care prevention, counseling,
and housing placement assistance.

HEALTH CARE / MEDICAL
NEGLECT/AIDS AND HEP C
RESOURCES
AIDS Educational Project
C/o ACLU National Prison Project
733 15th Street. NW Suite 620
Washington DC 20005
V: 202-393-4930
http://www.aclu.org/prison/index.html
Serves as a national resource center to
provide educational materials and legal
information about AIDS in prison. Offers
class action and litigation for prisoners.
Provides free packet of information to
prisoners, including educational pamphlet.
(in English and Spanish, single copies free
to prisoners) and a comprehensive "AIDS
and Prison Bibliography" for $10.
AIDS in Prison Project
The Osborne Association
809 Westchester Ave. Bronx, NY 10455

This 22-page resource directory has been published by the Prison Activist Resource Center, P.O.
Box 70447, Oakland, CA, 94612 510.893.4648. Please mail us the evaluation form with updates.

PARC Prisoner Support Directory Last Updated March 2008

V: 718-707-2600 or 1-800-344-3314
www.osborneny.org/aids_in_prison_project.
htm
Brochures for HIV-positive people. Info
hotline in English and Spanish. T-Th 3-8pm.
Collect calls accepted at 718-378-7022. Also
provides transitional housing for recently
released prisoners, substance abuse
treatment, job readiness programs, and
case management for ex-prisoners.
AIDS Law Project of Pennsylvania
1211 Chestnut St. Ste. 600
Philadelphia PA 19107
V: 215-587-9377 F: 215-587-9902
www.aidslawpa.org
Provides legal services in English and
Spanish.
UPDATED! AIDS Project-East Bay
Wellness Center
th
499 5 Street, Suite 306 Oakland, CA 94607
V: 510-663-7979
www.apeb.org
Post-services include case management,
health services, housing & food assistance
for HIV+ people.
UPDATED! AIDS Treatment News
th
1233 Locust Street, 5 Floor
Philadelphia, PA 19107
V: 1-800-873-2812
www.aidsnews.org
Articles available for free download on
website; cannot offer free subscriptions for
prisoners. Write for info.
AmfAR Treatment Library
120 Wall Street, 13th floor
NY, NY 10005-3908
V: 212-806-1600 or 1-800-39-AMFAR
F: 212-806-1601
http://www.amfar.org
Conducts AIDS research and provides
written information in English and Spanish.
Center for Disease Control's National
Prevention Information Network
P.O. Box 6003 Rockville MD 20849
V: 800-458-5231
http://www.cdcnpin.org
Provides info, publications, and technical
assistance on HIV/AIDS, STDs, and TB MF9-6 Eastern time. Spanish-speaking
services available. General info line on ALL
medical questions is 1-800-342-2437

12

(English) and 1-800-344-7432 (Spanish).
Harm Reduction Coalition
22 W. 27th St., 5th floor
New York, NY 10001
V: 212-213-6376
http://www.harmreduction.org
A national advocacy and capacity-building
organization promoting the dignityof
individual impacted by drug use. Provides
training and other educational services
addressing the adverse effects of drug use,
including incarceration. Offers written
publications and trainings in Spanish.
Hepatitis C Awareness Project
P.O. Box 41803 Eugene, OR 97404-0520
V: 541-607-5725 or 1-888-HEPINFO
F: 541-607-5684
http://www.hcvinprison.org
The Hepatitis C Awareness Project is an
Oregon grassroots organization designed to
increase the awareness of viral hepatitis and
to help educate the community about HCV
prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. We
offer seminars, workshops, and support
groups, both inside and outside of prison.
Distributes newsletter: "Hepatitis C
Awareness News."
Hepatitis C Support Project
HCV ADVOCATE
P.O. Box 427037
San Francisco, CA 94142-7037
http://www.hcvadvocate.org
Publishes monthly patient newsletter. Fact
sheets on Hep C available for free download
in five languages.
UPDATED! Infectious Diseases in
Corrections Report
(Formerly known as the HIV and Hepatitis
Education Prison Project Report)
146 Clifford Street Providence, RI 02903
V: 401-453-2068
http://www.idcronline.org
idcr@corrections.net
Publication edited and written by prison
health care providers discussing HIV/AIDS
and hepatitis care for incarcerated people.
Latino Commission on AIDS
24 West 25th St., 9th Fl.
New York NY 10010
V: 212-675-3288 F: 212-675-3466
http://www.latinoaids.org

This 22-page resource directory has been published by the Prison Activist Resource Center, P.O.
Box 70447, Oakland, CA, 94612 510.893.4648. Please mail us the evaluation form with updates.

PARC Prisoner Support Directory Last Updated March 2008

13

Dedicated to providing prevention (through
education) and training for treatment for all
those in need with the HIV virus. Offers
written information and resources in
Spanish.

affected by HIV and AIDS. Spanish
resources available; also limited written
information in Spanish.

National Minority AIDS Council
1931 13th Street NW
Washington DC 20009-4432
V: 202-483-6622 F: 202-483-1135
http://www.nmac.org

A Jailhouse Lawyer's Manual
Columbia Human Rights Law Review
Attn: JLM Order
435 W. 116th St. New York NY 10027
V: 212-854-1601 F: 212-854-7946
www.columbia.edu/cu/hrlr/JLMOnline.html
th
The 7 edition of A Jailhouse Lawyer's
Manual is $25 if shipped directly to
prisoners; $90 for all others. It is also
available for free download from website.
Topics include habeas corpus, PLRA, civil
rights claims (Section 1983), disciplinary
proceedings, AIDS, immigration, and parole.
th
7 edition of the Immigration & Consular
Access supplement available. The Spanish
Jailhouse version is $15 for prisoners; $30
for all others. Please send check or money
order to above address. JLM also accepts
postage stamps as payment. PLEASE
NOTE: We cannot provide legal advice to
prisoners; we cannot discount our
publications any further.prisoners; we
cannot discount our publications any further;
and we do not have used copies to
distribute. If you would like to order the JLM
but are unable to purchase one, please
inquire with your prison law library to see if
they will order one.

National Prison Hospice Association
(NPHA)
P.O. Box 4623 Boulder, CO 80306-4623
V: 303-447-8051 F: 303-447-8055
http://www.npha.org
NPHA helps to develop and implement
hospices and better end-of-life care for
terminally ill prisoners and their families.
Also publishes a tri-annual newsletter.
Test Positive Aware Network
(Publishes "Positively Aware")
5537 North Broadway St. Chicago IL 60640
V: 1-888-872-6448 or 773-989-9400
F: 773-989-9494
http://www.tpan.com
HIV/AIDS publication, occasional articles
specific to prisoners. Free for those with
HIV, $25/yr. for others.
Project Inform
205 13th St. #2001
San Francisco CA 94103
V: 415-558-8669 F: 415-558-0684
www.projectinform.org
Provides HIV and AIDS hotline at 800-8227422. Can help Spanish-speaking callers.
San Francisco AIDS Foundation
995 Market St. #200
San Francisco, CA 94103
V: 415-487-3000 F: 415-487-3009
Provides California HIV/AIDS hotline at 800367-AIDS. Puts out publication called BETA,
available in Spanish and English.
WORLD (Women Organized to Respond
to Life-Threatening Diseases)
nd
414 13th Street, 2 floor
Oakland, CA 94612
V: 510-986-0340 F: 510-986-0341
http://www.womenhiv.org
Provides information and educational
support for women and families infected and

LEGAL RESOURCES: FEDERAL,
STATE, AND LOCAL

Blackstone Career Institute
P.O. Box 899 Emmaus PA 18049-0899
V: 610-967-3323 or 1-800-826-9228
F: 610-967-3126
http://www.blackstone.edu
Offers a well-known correspondence
program in law. The oldest school of its kind
in the U.S., prisoners make up a sizeable
percentage of students enrolled and have
come from over 1,000 prisons across the
U.S.
NEW! Correctional Association of New
York
135 E. 15th Street, Suite 1 NYC, NY 10003
V: 212-254-5700 F: 212-473-2807
http://correctionalassociation.org
Have four working project groups: the Public
Policy Project, the Women in Prison Project,
the Prison Visiting Project, and the Juvenile

This 22-page resource directory has been published by the Prison Activist Resource Center, P.O.
Box 70447, Oakland, CA, 94612 510.893.4648. Please mail us the evaluation form with updates.

PARC Prisoner Support Directory Last Updated March 2008

Justice Project.
Florida Prisoners’ Legal Aid Organization
14365 E. Colonial Drive, Orlando, FL 32826
v: 407-306-6211
[add info]
La Raza Centro Legal Inc.
Attn: Detention Project
474 Valencia St. Ste. 295
San Francisco, CA 94103
V: 415-575-3500 F: 415-255-7593
http://www.lrcl.org
Resources and possible legal referrals for
INS detainees in Northern California. We are
not able to help with criminal or other civil
matters. Spanish services provided.
Legal Aid Society Prisoner's Rights
Project
199 Water Street NY, NY 10038
V: 212-577-3346 or 3300
http://www.legalaid.org/en/whatwedo/lawreform/prisoners'rig
htsproject.aspx
Legal Services for Prisoners with
Children
1540 Market St. Ste. 490
San Francisco CA 94102
V: 415-255-7036
http://www.prisonerswithchildren.org/
Legal services are provided in California
only, but some general information is
available.
Lewisburg Prison Project
434 Market Street, Suite 307
Lewisburg, PA 17837
V: 570-523-1104
www.eg.bucknell.edu/~mligare/LPP.html
Publishes a number of low-cost materials for
prisoners, including "legal Bulletins",
"Prisoner's Guide to Federal Parole", and
"Due Process Standards for Administrative
Detention." Provides direct legal service to
all federal prisoners in Central Pennsylvania,
including those at USP Allenwood and USP
Lewisburg. Send SASE for publication and
price list.
UPDATED! Mexican American Legal
Defense and Educational Fund
(MALDEF)--National Office
634 S. Spring St., 11th floor
Los Angeles, CA 90014

14

V: 213-629-2512
www.maldef.org
Has regional offices in GA, IL, TX, CA, and
DC. Write for more info. Provides referrals.
NAACP Legal Defense & Educational
Fund Inc.
99 Hudson St. 16th Fl. New York NY 10013
V: 212-965-2200
www.naacpldf.org
Non-profit law firm which deals only with
cases of obvious race discrimination,
handles small # of death penalty & life w/o
parole cases.
National Lawyer's Guild Prison Law
Project
132 Nassau Street # 922
New York, NY 10038
V: 212-679-5100 F: 212-679-2811
http://www.nlg.org
Published a 2005 Jailhouse Lawyers
handbook, free for prisoners, on bringing
Section 1983 claims. NLG offers $8
membership for jailhouse lawyers; prisoners
receive quarterly Guild Notes, other
mailings. Can not provide lawyers.
Prisoner Legal Services
San Francisco Sheriff's Department
555 7th St. 2nd fl., Room 201
San Francisco, CA 94103
V: 415-558-2472
Provides legal information, assistance and
advocacy to prisoners in the San Francisco
County Jail system. Limited information
available in Spanish.
Prisoner Self Help Legal Clinic
Seaton Hall University School of Law
One Newark Center Newark NJ 07102
V: 888-415-7271
Supports prisoners' efforts at self-litigation
with educational resources. Provides
services in Spanish and English.
The School of Paralegal Studies
Professional Career Development
Institute
430 Technology Parkway
Norcross, GA 30092-3406
V: 770-729-8400 or 800-417-2407
http://www.pcdi.com/
Offers a correspondence course.
Sylvia Rivera Law Project

This 22-page resource directory has been published by the Prison Activist Resource Center, P.O.
Box 70447, Oakland, CA, 94612 510.893.4648. Please mail us the evaluation form with updates.

PARC Prisoner Support Directory Last Updated March 2008
th

rd

322 8 Avenue, 3 Floor NY, NY 10001
V: 1-212-337-8550 / 1972
www.srlp.org
Provides free legal services to transgender
and gender nonconforming low-income
people and people of color. Only available in
NY and surrounding areas.
NEW! Transgender Law and Policy
Institute
328 Flatbush Avenue, Box 312, Brooklyn,
NY 11238
www.transgenderlaw.org
Provides legal, medical, and social science
resources to attorneys and others
advocating on behalf of transgender
individuals. Makes freely available litigation,
legislative, and education advocacy
materials for use by other advocates for
transgender people..

PAROLE/PRE-RELEASE
INFORMATION
Housing Discrimination Project
57 Suffolk St. Holyoke MA 01040
V: 413-539-9796
http://www.hampshire.edu/cms/index.php?id
=2047
For ex-prisoners dealing with housing
discrimination.
Fortune Society
53 West 23rd Street, 8th floor
New York, NY 10010
V: 212-691-7554 F: 212-255-4948
Prisoner re-entry, advocacy for prisoners on
behalf of their families, HIV counseling, and
support groups. Publishes "Fortune News."
Northern California Service League
28 Boardman Place
San Francisco, CA 94103
V: 415-863-2323
http://www.norcalserviceleague.org/
NCSL provides job placement assistance to
parolees.
Palladia (Formerly Project Return)
10 Astor Place, 7th floor
NY, NY 10003-6935
V: 212-979-8800
http://www.projectreturn.org
Helps parolees with employment readiness,
job placement, individual and family
counseling, as well as recreational and

15

community service alternatives.
Project Rebound
C/o Associated Students Inc.
Cesar Chavez Community Center
1650 Holloway Ave., T-138
San Francisco, CA 94132-1722
V: 415-405-0954
http://www.asisfsu.org/rebound/
Assistance with educational programs,
admissions, and support services to exprisoners.
St. Patrick Friary
102 Seymore St. Buffalo, NY 14210
V: 716-856-6131
Group counseling provided at Attica,
Wyoming, Collins, Orleans, Albion,
Groveland, Gowanda and Rochester
prisons. Post-release services include
housing for parolees and job training. They
also offer assistance with educational
opportunities, transportation, and job
opportunities.

PUBLICATIONS AND MAGAZINES
NEW! Allied Resistance
c/o Kansas Mutual Aid, PO Box 442438
Lawrence, KS 66044
Monthly publication of prisoner
revolutionaries dedicated to build a
movement for a just and sustainable future.
$1 or 4 stamp donation suggested. Ask for
info about prisoner labor unions.
Anarchist Black Cross
South Chicago ABC Zine Distro
P.O. Box 721 Homewood, IL 60430
Offers a wide variety of political zines at low
cost to prisoners. Specializes in helping get
the truth out of the gulags, in zine form.
Supports prisoner initiatives such as prison
labor unions. Offers zines for women
prisoners. English only.
Asheville Global Report
P.O. Box 1504 Asheville NC 28802
20 Battery Park, #515 Flat Iron Building
V: 828-236-3103
www.agrnews.org
Winner of ten Project Censored awards, and
a great source of weekly independent news.
The Graduate Group
P.O. Box 370351
W. Hartford, CT 06137-0351

This 22-page resource directory has been published by the Prison Activist Resource Center, P.O.
Box 70447, Oakland, CA, 94612 510.893.4648. Please mail us the evaluation form with updates.

PARC Prisoner Support Directory Last Updated March 2008

860-233-2330
http://www.graduatetgroup.com
Publishes a book called "A Guide to
Successful Plea Bargaining."
"Inside Journal"
A publication of Prison Fellowship
P.O. Box 1550 Merrifield, VA 22116-1550
V: 1-877-478-0100
http://breakpoint.org
A 15 year old publication that comes out 8
times a year. Carries stories by current and
former inmates.
Justice: Denied
C/o Hans Sherrer
P.O. Box 68911 Seattle, Washington 98168
www.justicedenied.org
V: 206-335-4254
Magazine for the wrongfully convicted
publishes prisoners' stories only.
Justice Watch
1120 Garden St. Cincinnati, OH 45214
V: 513-241-0490
http://www.justicewatchinc.org/contact.html
Works to eliminate classism and racism from
prisons and opposes death penalty.
Operates Garden Street Transitional House
for parolees. Publishes quarterly newsletter.
Legal Publications in Spanish, Inc.
Publicaciones Legales en Espanol, Inc.
P.O. Box 623 Palisades Park, NJ 07650
V: 1-800-432-0004
Contact is Ben Zapp or Francis Ortiz.
Publications in English/Spanish and
Spanish-only.
Nolo Press
950 Parker St. Berkeley, CA 94710-2524
V: 510-549-1976
http://www.nolo.com
Publishes "Legal Research", 4th edition,
which gives step-by-step instructions in
finding legal information. The legal selfhelper can use book to find and research a
case; read statutes and administrative
regulations; and make requests under the
Freedom of Information Act. Write for
current list and prices.
"Outlook on Justice"
Publication of Criminal Justice Program
of the American Friends Service
Committee

16

2161 Massachusetts Ave.
Cambridge, MA 02140
V: 617-661-6130 ext. 120
A newsletter of the AFSC (Quakers),
$2/year for prisoners.
PART: Publication of People Against
Racist Terror/Anti-Racist Action
P.O. Box 1055 Culver City, CA 90232-1055
V: 310-495-0299
Publishes quarterly “Turning the Tide.”
Positively Aware
5537 North Broadway Chicago, IL 60640
V: 773-989-9400
http://www.tpan.com
National magazine on HIV/AIDS. Covers
treatment, social issues, financial, and legal
matters. Free subscriptions to prisoners.
Spanish language version available.
Prisoners' Guerilla Handbook to
Correspondence Programs in the US &
Canada
C/o Biddle Publishing Co.
th
2400 Northwest 80 street, Suite 148
Seattle, WA 98117
www.biddle-audenreed.com/guerrilla.html
212 program profiles, listing tuition rates,
time limits, courses offered, degree
programs, accreditation, and much more.
"Any prisoner seeking to begin or continue
their education behind bars will find this to
be an invaluable road map."--Paul Wright,
PLN, $24.95 & $2 S/H.
SUNY Binghamton Prisoner Support
Group/OFF! Magazine
C/o OFF! Editor, OCC
SUNY Binghamton Binghamton, NY 13902
V: 607-777-2050
We are a small grassroots group that works
directly with prisoners based on their
individual needs.

REHABILITATION/NONVIOLENCE
PROGRAMS
Community Alliance on Prisons
76 North King St. Ste. 203
Honolulu HI 96817
V: 808-533-3454
"A coalition of churches, community orgs,
academics, ex-offenders, and concerned
citizens who have come together to develop
effective interventions for Hawaii's non-

This 22-page resource directory has been published by the Prison Activist Resource Center, P.O.
Box 70447, Oakland, CA, 94612 510.893.4648. Please mail us the evaluation form with updates.

PARC Prisoner Support Directory Last Updated March 2008

violent offenders." Focuses on alternatives
to incarceration, prison reform legislative
issues, and community education.
UPDATED! The Insight Prison Project
805 Fourth Street. Suite 3
San Rafael, CA 94901
V/f: 415-459-9800
http://www.insightprisonproject.org
Communication training in nonviolence in
correctional facilities; expanding to include
post-release training.
UPDATED! Mettanokit Outreach
Attn: Medicine Story
167 Merriam Hill Road Greenville, NH 03048
V: 603-878-2310
Native American circles in 9 prisons in New
England. Booklet describing the program
and post-prison group called Ending Violent
Crime.
Pathfinders of Oregon
8010 North Charleston Ave
Portland, OR 97203
V: 503-286-0600
Pathfinders are a cognitive
restructuring/skills building process/ it was
designed to transform criminally deviant
behavior into responsible conduct. FOR
OREGON PRISONERS ONLY.
UPDATED! Project Return of Louisiana
Inc.
V: 504-452-5585
Call for updated address. This organization
was displaced by Hurricane Katrina.
Provides a prison aftercare program, 90 day
residential, and addresses transitional
issues such as anger management,
substance abuse, academic enhancement,
computer skills, job readiness, etc.
Prison Program at Buddhist Peace
Fellowship
P.O. Box 3470 Berkeley, CA 94703
V: 510-655-6169
www.bpf.org/html/current_projects/prison_pr
ogram/prison_program.html
The Buddhist Peace Fellowship Prison
Project provides ministry to help prisoners
develop skills to meet everyday violence in
prison. Also has training for inmate
meditation programs, a Community
Correspondence Program, and an Advocacy
and Education network.

17

The Safer Society Foundation
P.O. Box 340 Brandon, VT 05733-0340
V: 802-247-3132
www.safersociety.org/
A national research advocacy, and referral
center on the prevention and treatment of
sexual abuse. Provides referral services for
therapists is area in which sex offender will
be released. Also provides damaged books
for prison libraries upon request and puts
out workbooks for sex offenders; youth
workbook only is available in Spanish.
Triune Arts
111 Wildwood Crescent
Toronto, Ontario Canada M4L 2K9
V: 416-686-0467
www.triune.ca
Educational resource for restorative justice
programs: "resolving Conflict Creatively
between Victims and Youth Offenders
through Diversion and Transformation" is an
educational resource intended to raise
public awareness of an alternative to the
existing justice system's approach, to
provide training and to encourage citizens to
participate in community justice programs.

SOCIAL SUPPORT
AGENCIES
Better People
4310 NE Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
Portland OR 97211
V: 503-281-2663
www.betterpeople.org
Better People's mission is to dramatically
reduce recidivism in Multnomah County and
other areas.
UPDATED! Families against Mandatory
Minimums (FAMM)
1612 K St. NW, Suite 700
Washington DC 20006
V: 202-822-6700 F: 202-822-6704
http://www.famm.org
Chapters in almost 30 states. Write for
newsletter and list of publications, including
info on Booker and Fanfan decisions. Also
provides amicus briefs.
UPDATED! Families to Amend
California's Three Strikes (FACTS)
3982 S. Figueroa St. #209 LA, CA 90037
V: 213-746-4844
http://www.facts1.com
Works to amend California's Three Strikes

This 22-page resource directory has been published by the Prison Activist Resource Center, P.O.
Box 70447, Oakland, CA, 94612 510.893.4648. Please mail us the evaluation form with updates.

PARC Prisoner Support Directory Last Updated March 2008

law to target violent felonies only. Quarterly
newsletter (by donation). Print return
address exactly if you want a response.
Flyers printed in English and Spanish.
International Community Corrections
Association (ICCA)
1730 Rhode Island Ave NW, Suite 403
Washington, DC 20006
V: 202-828-5605
http://www.iccaweb.org/index.php?section=1
Publishes the ICCA Journal on Community
Corrections, as well as various newsletters.
Also puts out a directory of residential
programs every 3-4 years. Provides limited
referrals.
NAACP Criminal Justice Prison Program
8 W. 26th St. Baltimore, MD 21218
V: 410-358-8900
http://www.naacp.org/departments/legal/lega
l_crime.html
NEW!!! Prison Place
www.prisonplace.com
Started by an ex-prisoner, this website is a
place for friends and families of those on the
inside to communicate and support each

18

other.
Offers referrals and advisory services for
prisoners who want to break the cycle of
recidivism. Projects operate through regional
offices and are not available in every area.
Write for local addresses.
The Sentencing Project
514 10th St. NW #1000
Washington DC 20004
V: 202-628-0871 F: 202-628-1091
http://www.sentencingproject.org
Write for list of publications & prices.
"Publications on drug policy, voting rights,
juvenile justice, sentencing law and policy,
racial disparities, and women prisoners.”
Free download on website.
Visions for Prisons Peace in Prison
Project
P.O. Box 1631 Costa Mesa CA 92628
V: 714-556-8000
VFP sponsors volunteers around the world
and offers prison volunteers training. They
also promote a prison non-violence
program. Offers a meditation instruction
service in Spanish.

--------------------------------------CHECK THESE OUT! --------------------------------------Prison Legal News
Prison Legal News is an independent monthly publication started by prisoners that reports, reviews, and
analyzes court rulings and news related to prisoner rights and prison issues. PLN has a national (U.S.) focus
on both state and federal prison issues, with international coverage as well. PLN is subscribed to and read
by civil and criminal trial and appellate attorneys, judges, public defenders, journalists, academics,
paralegals, prison rights activists, students, family members of prisoners, concerned private individuals,
state and federal prisoners, politicians, and government officials. PLN will mail an informational brochure,
a calendar and a bookmark at no charge to any prisoner in the U.S. Subscriptions are not free to prisoners
but available at a reduced cost; please write for more information to: Prison Legal News, 2400 NW 80th
Street #148 Seattle, WA 98117. (206)246-1022 f: (206)248-6846. www.prisonlegalnews.org

All of Us or None
All of Us or None is a national organizing initiative of prisoners and former prisoners to combat the many
forms of discrimination that prisoners face upon release. They are active in several local and national
campaigns, including BAN THE BOX, a movement to end job discrimination based on felony convictions.
*Have you ever been in juvenile hall, jail, prison, or INS detention? *Are you currently on probation or on
parole? *Are you having a hard time starting over or finding a job since your release from prison? *Have
you or someone you know been denied housing or welfare due to a felony conviction? *Would you like to
know more about your right to vote with a felony conviction? *Have you been denied custody of your
children because of your felony conviction? *Has your juvenile record been used against you?
We are working towards solutions to these problems. Contact: All of Us or None, c/o Legal Services for
Prisoners with Children, 1540 Market St. #490, San Francisco, CA 94102. 415-255-7036 ext. 337
http://www.allofusornone.org

TIGRA
This 22-page resource directory has been published by the Prison Activist Resource Center, P.O.
Box 70447, Oakland, CA, 94612 510.893.4648. Please mail us the evaluation form with updates.

PARC Prisoner Support Directory Last Updated March 2008

19

TIGRA is an organizing project formed in 2004 in immigrant communities to challenge the banks that
profit from families sending money to loved ones through wire transfers (called “remittances”). Like
immigrants, prisoners must receive funds through Western Union or U.S. Postal Service money orders.
Money transfer agencies charge 8-15% in fees, resulting in billions of lost money for low-income workers
and their families. TIGRA works with community and ethnic associations to conduct the following survey;
after 350 surveys are completed in one area, TIGRA demands that corporations reinvest in those
communities. More information available in languages at www.transnationalaction.org
***TIGRA survey, for friends and family on the outside: 1) What prison or jail do you send your money
to? 2) How much money did you send the past year? (less than $500; $1-2k; $2-$3k; $3-$4k; $4-6k; other);
3) What company do you use to send money? (Western Union; MoneyGram; Travelex; JPay; U.S. Postal
Service; bank (what name?); other) 4) How much do you get charged for sending money? 5) These
companies make billions of dollars from transactions such as your family’s. If they were to reinvest some
of their profits back into your community; what kinds of services do you want to see supported? (low-cost
or free childcare; low-cost or free English classes; low-cost or free bank accounts; scholarships for young
people; low-cost or free bus passes; create jobs in the community; other). Send your name and contact
information to TIGRA, and ask your friend/family member on the outside to send their
name/address/phone/email address/organization affiliation to TIGRA, 900 Alice Street #320,

Oakland, CA 94607 (510) 653-3415 tigra@transnationalaction.org
Campaigns for Telephone Justice
The New York Campaign for Telephone Justice is an organizing project formed in 2004 by the Center for
Constitutional Rights, Prison Families Community Forum, and Prison Families of New York, Inc., to
challenge the companies that profit from prisoners calling their loved ones. After years of struggle
including a class-action lawsuit, the campaign succeeded in getting a bill passed that ends the state’s profittaking on phone contracts by prioritizing “the lowest possible cost to the telephone user.” This campaign
will continue to pressure companies to lower their rates for prison phone calls and produces an organizing
kit for use across the U.S. They do not provide direct services to prisoners; we encourage you to contact
the following organizations; if you are on the outside, go to www.etccampaign.com. This website lists
campains state by state, including Floria, Illinois, and Maine.
NY Campaign for Telephone Justice
c/o Center for Constitutional Rights
Attn: Lauren Melodia
666 Broadway Ave 7th floor, NY, NY 10012
http://www.telephonejustice.org (212)-614-6481

The Campaign to Promote Equitable Telephone
Charges
c/o Michigan CURE
P.O. Box 2736
Kalamazoo, MI 49003-2736
info@etccampaign.com

FACTS on prisons and prisoners you should know:
 As of June 2006, there were 2,245,189 prisoners held in Federal or State prisons or in local jails.
 That is approximately 497 inmates per 100,000 U.S. residents
 Women are the fastest growing prison population in the United States, increasing over 500% since
1970. There were 111,403 women prisoners as of June 2006.
 There were more than 1,250,000 women in prison or jail, or on parole or probation in the US, year
end 2005.
 In 2005, there were 3,254 death row prisoners-held by the Federal prison system and 36 states
where the death penalty is legal.
 Of those prisoners, 56% were white, 42% were black, and 2% were of other races. 52 of those
prisoners were women.
 Blacks represent 12.9% of the total U.S. population, but 39.5% of the U.S. prison population.
Roughly two thirds of female inmates in jails and state and federal prisons are women of color.
 As of January 2007, almost 80% of women and more than 91% of men in prison for drug offense
were African American or Latina, even though studies show that Caucasians use, sell, and buy
drugs in greater numbers than people of color.
 Since 1973, the number of women in prison for drug crimes has increased by 825%

This 22-page resource directory has been published by the Prison Activist Resource Center, P.O.
Box 70447, Oakland, CA, 94612 510.893.4648. Please mail us the evaluation form with updates.

PARC Prisoner Support Directory Last Updated March 2008






20

Black children are nearly nine times more likely to have an incarcerated parent in prison (7%), and
Latino children (2.6%) are more than three times more likely, than white children (0.8%).
About 64% of mothers in state prisons lived with their children before prison, compared to 44% of
men. What happened to those children?
Most correctional facilities unfairly target transgender people in prison by placing them in
correctional facilities according to their birth sex and not according to the gender they identify
with: transwomen are incarcerated in prisons that house men and transmen arte incarcerated in
prisons that house women.
14% of women in New York’s prisons are HIV positive. The rate of infection among women
inmates in New York is more than double the rate for male inmates (6.7%) and almost 100 times
higher than the rate in the general public (.15%)

Sources:
U.S. Census Bureau:factfinder.census.gov; Bureau of Justice Statistics: ojp.gov/bjs; Justice Now factsheet: “Prison Abolition is a
Women’s Issue” www.jnow.org; Women in Prison Project, Correctional Association of New York: www.correctionalassociation.org;
Prison Legal Services of New York: www.plnsy.org; Human Rights Watch: www.hrw.org

TOXIC SWEATSHOPS
Over the past year, PARC has been working in coalition with the Center for Environmental Health, Silicon
Valley Toxics Coalition, and the Computer TakeBack Campaign to end the exposure to toxics of people
working in electronic recycling programs in prison. In October 2006, this group of organizations released
the report “Toxic Sweatshops: How UNICOR Prison Recycling Harms Workers, Communities, the
Environment, and the Recycling Industry.” The core of the report was prisoners’ voices, collected in
affidavits by a jailhouse lawyer and questions prepared by SVTC and PARC. Since the release of the
report, Congress has begun to call for investigations into these issues. Sworn statements from prisoners
have played a vital role in advancing our understanding of how electronic waste is recycled in prison. If
you have ever worked in a prison industry that has exposed you to toxics, please fill out the following
survey and return it to our legal support: Micheal Couzens, Attorney at Law, PO Box 3642, Oakland,
CA 94609. For more information on this issue, please visit the parc website: www.prisonactivist.org
QUESTIONS *Do you wish to keep your identity anonymous? *What kind of prison industries program
are you currently working in (laundry, landscaping, garage, janitorial, industries, other; please be specific)?
*Where are you incarcerated: federal, state, county, or other prison? *If you are working in a Federal
Prison, are you working for UNICOR? If not, what is the name of the prison industries program you work
for? *What is the name of the facility you are incarcerated in? *How long have you worked in this
program? From month/year to month/year? *Do you have any health concerns that you believe are related
to your work? If so, what have you done to get redress? *What, if any, special care is taken to protect your
health and safety when you are working? Are there any special steps you believe should be taken, but are
not? *Has there ever been environmental/toxic materials testing at your site? If so, have you ever witnessed
manipulation of activity or change in work routine specifically because of the tests? [For example: stopping
work before or sudden clean-ups to pass air quality tests] How many times? When were the tests
(month/year)? Do you know what they were testing for? Please list. *Have you had a blood sample taken
and tested since you began working in the program? If so, do you know what they were testing for? Please
list. Were the results shared with you? How often have you been tested? *When doing this work, what do
you wear? Are you provided with personal protective equipment? What? *Have you seen or been involved
in accidents, injuries, breakage of equipment at the worksite? If so, how often, and of what nature? Please
describe. *What tools are you given to work with? Would you describe the equipment as adequate or
inadequate? Please explain. *Have you ever seen prison guards questioned, disciplined, or fired for
workplace corruption or violating rules (i.e., refusing to provide safety equipment, setting aside products
for personal profit)? Explain. *Do you know where the products you work with or produce come from or
are shipped to? Please detail (names of schools, colleges, agencies, hospitals, corporations)? *What do you
believe are solutions to the issues you have described above: a) more job training inside prison; b) work
furlough so that you can work outside of prison side-by-side with “free” workers; c) close prisons, and
spend the money on community needs like health care, education, job creation; d) other. Explain. *Can we
use your statements here in reports or media work on these issues? *What is your race/culture/ethnic
background? *Please provide contact information for a friend or family member outside of prison, and sign
and print your name, with your prisoner id# and date signed, under the following: “I swear under the
penalty of perjury under the laws of the U.S.A. that the foregoing statement is true and correct.”

This 22-page resource directory has been published by the Prison Activist Resource Center, P.O.
Box 70447, Oakland, CA, 94612 510.893.4648. Please mail us the evaluation form with updates.

PARC Prisoner Support Directory Last Updated March 2008

21

Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners
Approved by the First U.N. Congress on the Prevention of Crime and the Treatment of Offenders, held
at Geneva in 1955, and approved by the Economic and Social Council by resolutions 663 C (XXIV) of
31 July 1957 and 2076 (LXII) of 13 May 1977.
http://www.ohchr.org/english/law/index.htm
Accomodations
*Cells for individuals should not be used to accomodate two or more persons overnight; dormitory facilities
are to be supervised at night.
Exercise and Sport
*If not employed in outdoor work, every prisoner shall have at least one hour of exercise in the open air,
weather permitting.
*Young prisoners and others of suitable age and physique are to receive physical and recreational training.
Medical Services
*Pre-natal and post-natal care and treatment are to be provided by women's institutions; where nursing
infants are allowed to remain with their mothers, a nursery staffed by qualified persons is needed.
*The medical officer shall see all sick prisoners daily, along with those who complain of illness or are referred
to his/her attention.
*The medical officer is to report to the director on prisoners whose health is jeopardized by continued
imprisonment and on the quality of the food, hygiene, bedding, clothing, and physical regimen of the
prisoners.
Discipline and Punishment
*Cruel, inhuman, and/or degrading punishments, including corporal punishment and restriction to a dark cell,
shall be prohibited.
Instruments of Restraint
*Handcuffs, straitjackets, and other instruments of restraint are never to be applied as a punishment, and
irons and chains are not to be used as means of restraint.
Information to and Complaints by Prisoners
*Upon admission, prisoners shall be informed of the regulations they are to live by and of authorized channels
for seeking information and making complaints.
*Prisoners are to have the right to make complaints to the director of the institution, as well as to the central
prison administration and the judicial authority, in the proper form but without censorship as to substance, and
they are to have the opportunity to speak directly to an inspector of prisons outside the presence of
institutional staff members.
*Unless evidently frivolous, each complaint shall be replied to promptly.
Contacts with the Outside World
*Prisoners are to be allowed regular contact with family and friends, by both correspondence and personal
visits.
*Prisoners who are foreign nationals shall be allowed communication with diplomatic and consular
representatives of their State, or a State or international authority that has taken charge of their interests.*
*Prisoners are to be kept informed of current events and important items of news.
Books
*Every institution shall maintain for the use of prisoners a library with recreational and instructional books.
Guiding Principles
*The prison system must not aggravate unnecessarily the suffering inherent in a prisoner's loss of selfdetermination and liberty.
*Prisons should utilize all remedial, educational, medical, and spiritual forms of assistance to treat the
prisoner's needs and facilitate his return to society as a law-abiding member.
*Government or private agencies should be available for the after care of released prisoners
Treatment
*Treatment of prisoners under sentence shall be directed to achieve the capacity for law-abiding and selfsupporting lives, utilizing professional services whenever possible.
Education and Recreation
*The ongoing education of prisoners is to be facilitated, and schooling of illiterates and youthful prisoners is to
be considered compulsory.
*Recreational and cultural activities are to be made available.
STATE LISTING OF RESOURCES
This 22-page resource directory has been published by the Prison Activist Resource Center, P.O.
Box 70447, Oakland, CA, 94612 510.893.4648. Please mail us the evaluation form with updates.

PARC Prisoner Support Directory Last Updated March 2008

Core Volunteers
B♀ (rita d. brown)
Marie B. Choi
Pat Foley
Max Harris
madrone phoenix
Taeva Shefler

Community
Advisory Board
Rose Braz
B♀ (rita d. brown)
Angela Davis
Linda Evans
Pam Fadem
Ruthie Gilmore
Holmes Hummel
Dorsey Nunn
Andrea Pritchett
Frances Free Ramos
Elihu Rosenblatt

Prison Advisory
Board

22

PRISON SUPPORT DIRECTORY EVALUATION FORM
Please fill out this form so that we know what is/is not working in our
directory. Please mail this evaluation to our office:
PO Box 70447
Oakland, CA 94612
In the Prisoner Support Directory (enclosed) which categories of resources
have you used? (check the slots)
___Advocacy Organizations
___Art and Music Programs
___Books and Reading Projects
___Death Penalty Resources
___Family and Visiting Resources
___Legal Resources
___Parole/Pre-Release Information
___Publications and Magazines
___Rehabilitation/Nonviolence Programs
___Social Support Agencies
___CHECK THIS OUT! section
___surveys
___facts you should know
___Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners
___Mail Order Publications
Please write down the names of any group/s that you have written to that have
not responded in over 4 months:

Marilyn Buck
Mdume Olatushani
Yvonne Roach
Dr. Mutulu Shakur
The Angola 3:
Albert Woodfox,
Herman Wallace, and
Robert King
Wilkerson (free!)

We need your explicit written permission in order to publish your letter with
your name and mailing address. Sign the statement below to grant this
permission:
“I grant to the Prison Activist Resource Center permission to publish my
correspondence, and if published, permission to publish with my name and
mailing address:
Signature: _________________
Mailing Address: __________________
__________________

This 22-page resource directory has been published by the Prison Activist Resource Center, P.O.
Box 70447, Oakland, CA, 94612 510.893.4648. Please mail us the evaluation form with updates.