Corrections

There are currently 7 million people under the supervision of the adult correctional system in the United States; over 2.3 million of those men, women, and children are currently incarcerated in federal and state prisons, local jails, and juvenile facilities across the country.  This means that 1 out of every 34 people in our country is under some form of correctional supervision, while 1 out of every 99 American adults is currently confined to a jail or prison cell.  The figures become exponentially worse when broken down by race, ethnicity, and gender.  These millions of Americans have no political voice, no say in how they are treated, and have very few individuals to advocate on their behalf in a criminal justice system that is heavily weighted against their favor.

 

The attorney members of the Social Justice Law Collective are committed to stemming this rising tide of mass incarceration, and to combatting the devastating and consequential effects of incarceration on American individuals and families.  Dangerously overcrowded facilities have led to the deprivation of basic necessities of life for many offenders, the delivery of constitutionally inadequate medical and mental health care, the increase of acts of violence between staff and offenders, and the denial of accommodations for disabled individuals.

Towards these ends, SJLC represents prisoners in civil lawsuits challenging the conditions of their confinement, wherever they may be incarcerated.  While SJLC generally does not represent inmates in habeas-related matters, and gives preference to those cases which, if successful, will benefit large numbers of inmates or which involve serious, long-term, or permanent injury, every inmate claim received by SJLC will be read, considered, and responded to, regardless of the scope of the offense or the extent of damages suffered.

 

The attorney members of SJLC have extensive experience in litigating a wide range of corrections-related issues, including:

 

• Deliberate Indifference to Serious Medical or Mental Health Needs
• Excessive Force
• Unconstitutional Conditions of Confinement
• Censorship and Religious Freedoms: First Amendment Cases
• Wrongful Death
• Medical Malpractice