People in prison continue to endure harmful conditions and inhumane treatment. By contributing to the Alan Mills Action Fund and helping us reach our goal by June 30th, you will be investing in the fight for the human and civil rights of people in prison.
We'd like to introduce you to three attorneys carrying forward this work:
Shireen Jalali-Yazdi (left) graduated from the UCLA School of Law in 2024 and joined UPLC as a UCLA Legal Fellow the following fall. Shireen wanted to use her legal skills to protect the civil and human rights of people in prison. A law professor introduced Shireen to UPLC, and she immediately knew she had found her home—working directly with people in prison to demand better treatment. Shireen is co-counsel in Ross v. Gossett, which recently went to trial against the Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC) alleging that staff attacked, sexually humiliated, and tortured thousands of prisoners. Shireen is now focused on litigation concerning the sexual assault of prisoners, protecting the First Amendment right to teach in prison, and challenging IDOC’s censorship of Prison Legal News.
Alyssa Meurer (center) graduated from the UC Berkeley School of Law in 2024 and joined UPLC as a Larsen Justice fellow that fall. After internships with other prisoner rights groups, she sought out UPLC due to our commitment to litigating for the civil and human rights of imprisoned people, being well-connected to people in prison, and remaining grounded in community work. Alyssa is leading our efforts to craft pro se prisoners’ rights materials and is serving as co-counsel in Lippert v. Hughes, our medical and dental care class action lawsuit, an individual lawsuit challenging mental health care and conditions at Stateville (set for trial in January 2026), a case about sexual assault and retaliation against a prisoner, and litigation challenging the wrongful punishment of students in the Northwestern University Prison Education Program.
Marcus Owens (right) first encountered UPLC while attending Northwestern Pritzker School of Law and was part of programs focused on imprisoned individuals their rights. He interned at UPLC, and then secured a Northwestern law graduate fellowship to work here. Marcus is challenging the conditions of confinement and working to improve the lives of people as they re-enter society. He represents individuals nearing release from IDOC to apply for Social Security, so that they have income when they come home. Marcus is also co-counsel in Hilliard v. Hughes, a new lawsuit challenging IDOC’s near-total abandonment of prior reforms made to provide adequate mental health treatment to people in Illinois prisons. Additionally, he is part of a team fighting to get decent water quality at Illinois prisons.
Shireen, Alyssa, and Marcus are ready and energized to continue this work, but they can't do it without your support. By contributing to the Alan Mills Action Fund by June 30, 2025, you can help us reach our goal to raise $100,000. As of now, we have less than $2k to go! Please donate today.
