Prisoners' Rights Program
For over 40 years, Uptown People’s Law Center has fought on behalf of people held in Illinois prisons. As one of the few groups fighting for the civil rights and human rights of people in Illinois state prisons, we are passionate about making a difference within the system and supporting the dignity of imprisoned people.
Our Services Include:
- Class Action Representation: UPLC leads several class action lawsuits to address systemic issues affecting the rights and well-being of people in prison.
- Individual Cases: In some circumstances, we take on individual impact cases, focusing on specific challenges faced by many people in prison to through individual cases. Please note that UPLC does not regularly take on individual cases and our representation is highly selective.
Who We Help
Our work largely focuses on the civil rights of people in custody of the Illinois Department of Corrections. UPLC has a database of correspondence with over 10,000 prisoners. We receive between 75 and 100 letters a week from people in all of the Illinois prison facilities, as well as federal prisons and other state and county facilities. Additionally, we often receive phone calls from family members and other loved ones of people in prison, who we try to assist as much as possible.
Please note, we are not able to provide advice or support for people in county jails, federal prisoners or in custody in other state prisons. We also do not provide representation on criminal or post-conviction cases.
Our Work
UPLC has multiple class action lawsuits and several other lawsuits currently filed against the state of Illinois for unconstitutional prison conditions. Our lawsuits will ultimately change the Illinois prison system for the better.
UPLC assists prisoners in various matters, including the denial of adequate medical care, lack of mental health care, excessive use of force, sexual abuse, discrimination, and due process.
As part of our Prisoners’ Rights Program, we provide advice to other attorneys about how to successfully litigate prison cases. We lead several trainings a year and support court-appointed attorneys across the state in their prisoners’ rights work. Our lawyers and advocates have an extensive knowledge of the prison system, prison litigation and the Illinois Department of Corrections.
For additional information on our services, please check out our Frequently Asked Questions page, or give us a call at 773-769-1411.
Please note that UPLC does not represent individuals in criminal cases, criminal appeals, or habeas corpus petitions. Additionally, we care deeply about the confidentiality of communications that we have with our clients. We can only discuss details about an imprisoned person’s case if we have written permission from that person. This extends to family, friends, and other loved ones. If you would like to get any updates on your loved one’s communications with us, please have the person in custody write to us giving us permission to speak about their case with you.
