Legal and Advocacy Resources

 
   
General
The Family and Corrections Network is for and about families of prisoners. The site offers training, technical assistance, and information on children of prisoners, parenting programs for prisoners, prison visiting, incarcerated fathers and mothers, hospitality programs, keeping in touch, returning to the community, the impact of the justice system on families, and prison marriage. FCN publishes FCN Report, the only national publication devoted to families of prisoners. FCN provides no legal services. FCN is a gateway to practice, policy, and research on families of offenders.
Staffed primarily by ex-offenders, The Fortune Society is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to assisting ex-offenders and at-risk youth break the cycle of crime and incarceration through a broad range of services which include: counseling, career development, housing, education, substance abuse treatment services, alternatives to incarceration services, health services, and volunteer/internship opportunities. We communicate with prisoners all over the country via the mail, answering questions and providing information for those who are in need of services. We are also dedicated to educating the public about prisons, criminal justice issues, and the root causes of crime. Fortune News, our quarterly journal, is sent free of charge to inmates and contributing members.
The United Way invests in and activates the resources to make the greatest possible impact in communities across America. The United Way movement includes approximately 1,400 community-based United Way organizations. Each is independent, separately incorporated, and governed by local volunteers.

Alternate Venues
The Association of National Drug Court Professionals promotes education, research and scholarship for drug court and other court-based intervention programs.
The Juvenile Justice Center of the American Bar Association advances the juvenile defense bar through training, technical assistance, information dissemination and advocacy.

Counsel
The American Bar Association provides a web page to find Pro Bono Services by state.
LawHelp contains information to help people with low and moderate incomes find legal resources.

Homeless Coalitions
National Coalition for the Homeless - Directory of Homeless & Housing Advocacy Coalitions The organizations listed in this directory are primarily homeless and housing advocacy coalitions.
National Coalition for Homeless Veterans - Service Provider Network
The organizations listed in this directory are primarily homeless and housing advocacy coalitions.

Mental Health Law
The Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law is the leading national legal advocate for people with mental illnesses or mental retardation.

Vital Records
Most programs, government or private, require birth certificates and/or other vital documents. This web page, which is part of the Center for Disease Control, provides the addresses for the state agencies from which these documents can be obtained.

Voting Rights of Convicted Felons
This document, Civil Disabilities of Convicted Felons: A State-by-State Survey is published by the Department of Justice, Office of the Pardon Attorney. Please be aware that the survey is for informational purposes only, as an aid to further inquiry.