Human Rights Watch receives dozens of calls and letters daily requesting advice, assistance, and investigations into various aspects of the criminal justice system in the United States. Unfortunately, we are unable to investigate and respond to specific complaints regarding prison conditions in this country. Instead, we concentrate on exposing-via published reports-certain chronic or systemic problems that plague U.S. prisons generally, or individual institutions in particular. However, we do try to respond to the mail and calls we receive and to provide resource lists of organizations, which are more local and direct service oriented. Below, please find these resources, organized by state.

Each resource list contains legal resources (including district courts and law libraries), support organizations, and educational resources. The lists are by no means exhaustive, but they do include organizations to which we frequently refer prisoners or their families regarding problems they might be experiencing with the criminal justice system. At the very least, we hope that these local organizations will provide a jumping off point from which people in need of legal or community resources will be able to find assistance.

We also recommend that people experiencing problems with the criminal justice system contact their local legislators, attorney general, inspector general, and the warden of the prison where problems might be happening. We generally find that the more attention one can draw to a prisoner's situation, the better one's chances are for improvement.