Prison Law Office

For more than 35 years, has provided free legal services to California state prisoners (and occasionally to parolees), regarding conditions of confinement.
Organization Website

Twitter: @PrisonLaw
Facebook: Facebook
Primary geographic focus: California Statewide, Northern California, Southern California
Organization Type: Provider
LAAC Membership Type: Members
Lists: IOLTA-Funded, IOLTA Field Programs
Tags: Prisoners Rights

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For over 35 years the Prison Law Office has been in the forefront of legal efforts to enforce the Constitution and other laws inside the walls of California’s prisons. With a small staff of attorneys and support personnel, the Prison Law Office represents individual prisoners, engages in class action and other impact litigation, educates the public about prison conditions, and provides technical assistance to attorneys throughout the country.

The office does not typically assist or represent prisoners in lawsuits in which money damages are the primary objective. The office generally does not handle criminal appeals or habeas corpus petitions challenging criminal convictions.

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PRESS/RESEARCH MENTIONING/INVOLVING THIS SOURCE

News Story

California prison advocates say suicide checks are inhumane treatment

Halima Kazem
Guardian
September 25, 2015
Security and welfare checks since August 2015 at Pelican Bay state prison requires prison guards to check on inmates in segregated housing, such as solitary confinement cells, every 30 minutes to see if they are hurting themselves or trying to kill themselves.

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News Story

Wife of San Quentin inmate worries of Legionnaires’ outbreak

Evan Sernoffsky
San Francisco Chronicle
September 1, 2015
There were six confirmed cases of inmates infected with the severe bacterial pneumonia and 85 other prisoners who were showing symptoms since the first case was discovered.

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News Story

San Quentin water shut off in Legionnaires’ disease scare

Hamed Aleaziz, Victoria Colliver
San Francisco Chronicle
August 28, 2015
An inmate at San Quentin State Prison tested positive for the potentially deadly illness.

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News Story

Judge Could End Federal Oversight of California Prison Health Care

California HealthCare Foundation
March 11, 2015
California prison health care system leaves federal oversight on the condition that performance continues to improve.

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News Story

San Bernardino County struggles with increased service demand in wake of prison realignment

Joe Nelson
The San Bernardino Sun
July 9, 2015
San Bernardino Count Sheriff John McMahon McMahon said that realignment has increased the need for mental health services in county jails.

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News Story

California regains control over healthcare at Folsom prison

Paige St. John
Los Angeles Times (LA Times)
July 13, 2015
The state has regained full control of Folsom prison after a federal court took control in 2006 due to its healthcare conditions.

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News Story

Family questions death of son jailed with mentally unsound cellmate

Paloma Esquivel
Los Angeles Times (LA Times)
July 8, 2015
A man with developmental disabilities died while detained in a San Bernardino County jail with an accused murderer who was awaiting psychiatric evaluation.

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This page last modified: Fri, April 27, 2018 -- 11:53 am ET