Behind the Walls: A Guide for Families and Friends of Texas Prison Inmates

Appendix I: Resource List

201 Appendix I Resource List Following is a list of some organizations that offer services and assistance to prisoners and their families. Many of them offer other resource lists, generally in an area related to what services they extend. By asking them for resource lists, you can build a network of organizations suited to your particular needs. Texas Inmate Families Association (TIFA) P.O. Box 181253 Austin, TX 78718-1253 (512) 695-3031 www.tifa.org Advocacy group that provides support and resources for families of Texas prisoners. This organization works directly with prisoners’ family members , not prisoners. Has chapters throughout Texas and lobbies for change in the legislature, and often meets with top prison officials. Info, Inc. Inmate Families Organization, Inc. P.O. Box 788 Manchaca, TX 78652 www.flash.net/infoinc Advocacy group similar to TIFA, although newer. Texas Citizens United for Rehabilitation of Errants (CURE) P.O. Box 12623 Austin, TX 78711 Offshoot of national organization dedicated to organizing prisoners, their families and others for education and advocacy in criminal justice issues. Publishes quarterly newsletter , free to inmates. Texas Association of X-offenders (TAX) P.O. Box 1168 Crockett, TX 75835 Faith-based criminal recovery and relapse prevention program that targets adult offenders, parolees, probationers , and ex-offenders. There are several TAX chapters throughout the state. 202 Appendix I The Prison Show KPFT-90.1 FM 419 Lovett Blvd. Houston, TX 77006 Friday night staple for South Texas prisoners, is heard from 9 P.M. to 11 P.M. on the Houston Pacifica radio station KPFT. Ray Hill, the program’s host, is a former convict turned advocate for unpopular causes, including the plight of Texas inmates. The ACLU National Prison Project 1875 Connecticut Ave., NW, Suite 410 Washington, DC 20009 The American Civil Liberties Union National Prison Project publishes The Journal, a quarterly publication with in-depth analysis of significant new legislation and litigation affecting prisons, reports on AIDS and HIV in prison, and other pertinent information .An annual subscription costs two dollars for inmates and thirty dollars for free-world subscribers. Write and ask for a complete listing of other publications of interest. Donna Brorby The Law Office of Donna Brorby 660 Market street, Suite 300 San Francisco, CA 94104 This law office currently represents the cases of all Texas state inmates in the class action lawsuit, Ruiz v. Johnson, et.Al., No. H-78-987, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas. Vinson & Elkins Attn: John P. DeGeeter 2300 First City Tower 1001 Fannin St. Houston, TX 77002-6760 Thislawofficecurrentlyrepresentsthe cases of all Texas state inmates with the state’s motion to terminate the judgment in the class action lawsuit Guadalupe Guajardo, et.al v. James A. Collins, Director, TDCJ-ID, et. al., No. H-71-570, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas. (This is the action governing mail and correspondence.) The Innocence Project Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law Yeshiva University—Brookdale Center 55 Fifth Avenue New York, NY 10013-4391 This group, which includes criminal defense attorney Barry Scheck, helps wrongly convicted prisoners challenge their convictions. Centurion Ministries, Inc. 32 Nassau Street, 3rd Floor Princeton, NJ 08542 This group uses DNA testing to try to help prove the innocence of inmates given the death penalty or life imprisonment. Resource List 203 The Fortune Society 53 West 23rd Street New York, NY 10010 The Fortune Society produces the Fortune News, a monthly publication dedicated to educating the public about prisons, criminal justice issues, and the root causes of crime. The Fortune News is distributed to inmate subscribers in many of the nation’s prison systems. PEN Prison Writing Program PEN American Center 568 Broadway New York, NY 10012 Offers assistance, resource list, correspondence courses, Pen Pal listings, and a yearly writing contest for incarcerated writers. Also provides hundreds of addresses of small presses and publications that solicit fiction, poetry, and articles from beginning writers. An invaluable resource for imprisoned writers. The Prison Library Project PMB 128 915-C W. Foothill Blvd. Claremont, CA 91171-3356 This Prison Library Project (PLP) provides a Ways and Means resource list to inmates, upon their request. This list gives addresses to write for various types of help (legal assistance, pen pals, reading materials, GED sources, etc.) The primary mission of PLP is to provide reading material free of charge to inmates, prison chaplains, libraries...