RESOURCE: NC Prisoner Legal Services

North Carolina Prisoner Legal Services (NCPLS) is a statewide

nonprofit law firm dedicated to ensuring incarcerated individuals have meaningful access to the courts. NCPLS contracts with the North Carolina Office of Indigent Defense Services (NCIDS). They are staffed by a dedicated team of 19 attorneys and 15 paralegals, along with approximately 30 support staff. This team serves the entire incarcerated population in North Carolina (29,629 individuals).

Their firm consists of two teams: the Post-Conviction Team and the Civil Team. The Post-Conviction Team reviews trial and appellate level cases for errors. If they find an error, they will take it to the trial district attorneys for resolution through negotiation or litigation. The Civil Team addresses conditions of confinement. These include assaults, medical treatment, religious access, and failure to protect. The Civil Team provides self-help assistance, direct representation, and class action litigation for their civil clients.

NCPLS also partners with the IOLTA-funded Safe and Humane Jails Project. The mission of The Safe and Humane Jails Project is to support the health, safety, and legal rights of jail inmates and to assist inmates with other legal concerns arising in North Carolina jails. The Safe and Humane Jails project serves all of North Carolina's 100 counties and assists inmates in all of North Carolina's 93 jails.

To learn more about North Carolina Prisoner Legal Services go to www.ncpls.org or write them at:

North Carolina Prisoner Legal Services, Inc

PO Box 25397

Raleigh, NC 27611