Prisoners’ Legal Services of Massachusetts: Pro Bono Advocacy When the Stakes Are Highest

For someone who is incarcerated and terminally ill or permanently incapacitated, medical parole can offer the chance to spend the final stage of life with family and loved ones outside prison. Attorneys who volunteer with Prisoners’ Legal Services of Massachusetts (PLS) can help make that possibility real.

Founded in 1972, PLS provides civil legal assistance to approximately 14,000 people held in Massachusetts state prisons, county jails, houses of correction, and ICE detention centers. Its advocacy addresses concerns including access to medical and mental health care, staff violence, extreme conditions of confinement, segregation, and racial inequity. Pro bono lawyers extend the organization’s capacity to respond when people in custody face serious threats to their health, safety, and legal rights.

“Pro bono attorneys enhance our clients’ ability to vindicate their rights and hold prison officials accountable for unlawful behavior,” said Hannah Deegan, Pro Bono Advocacy Counsel at PLS.

Advocacy at a Critical Moment

Among the many ways pro bono attorneys support PLS clients, medical parole representation offers a particularly direct opportunity to improve a person’s quality of life at a critical moment. PLS works with attorneys to prepare petitions for people who are terminally ill or permanently incapacitated, with representation that may include reviewing medical records, consulting with health care professionals, developing a release plan, and advocating before the Department of Correction.

For eligible clients, a successful petition can mean returning home to the community to receive care and spend time with loved ones. These matters also offer an entry point for attorneys who want to contribute but may not have the capacity to take on lengthy civil rights litigation. PLS describes medical parole petitions as urgent cases with the potential for life-changing results while remaining relatively limited in scope.

Guidance for Attorneys Taking a Case

Prior experience in prisoners’ rights or medical parole law is not required. PLS provides training, written materials, sample documents, and an assigned staff mentor who can answer questions and review work as a case progresses.

That structure allows lawyers to draw on skills they already use in research, writing, client counseling, and advocacy while gaining experience in a new area of law. Opportunities with PLS also extend beyond medical parole and may include civil rights and medical malpractice litigation, investigations involving alleged staff violence, medical advocacy, public records matters, and other projects.

Extending the Reach of Legal Assistance

Pro bono participation allows PLS to serve more people who might otherwise have limited access to legal assistance while incarcerated. An attorney might take responsibility for a medical parole petition, investigate a potential claim, review records, or represent a client whose circumstances call for litigation.

Attorneys interested in getting involved can begin during Pro Bono Month through the BBA’s medical parole training in conjunction with PLS. The program will introduce participants to the legal and practical steps involved in these petitions and prepare them to assist eligible clients.

PLS also offers a range of other pro bono opportunities for attorneys and legal professionals, including litigation, medical advocacy, investigations, and shorter-term projects. Attorneys can explore current opportunities and find a way to contribute that fits their experience and availability.