Projects & Partnerships

Projects powered by our
communities.

The need for progressive resistance – and protections for those who choose to resist – is greater now than ever. NLGSF’s members bring their experiences and deep knowledge of legal issues to develop innovative and important projects that support vulnerable communities.

Prisoner Advocacy Network

The Prison Advocacy Network (PAN) is a volunteer network of activists, attorneys, legal workers, and law students. We are supervised by attorneys and thus operate under attorney-client privilege and can use legal mail. PAN is an advocacy network, not a litigation team.
Who We Are
We are an all-volunteer organization. We have 5 volunteer attorney mentors who train, mentor, and supervise advocates. The advocates are responsible for working directly with correspondents to meet identified needs and contacting prison or state officials. Many advocates have very little experience with the criminal system or CDCr’s many challenges, and are generally not attorneys. No experience with the criminal or legal system is required to become an advocate. We view this work as a partnership, where we utilize outside resources available to us, and you educate us about your experiences and knowledge of the prison system. We do not share personal information or contact prison officials on our inside-partners’ behalf without explicit permission. PAN does not charge for services. PAN will cover most, if not all, mail costs and fees for accessing records.
Who We Work With
There is a huge need for advocacy work in CDCr, but we seek to work with people facing the worst conditions while still fighting for their and others’ rights. We only work with people in CDCr, not in other prison systems or jails. We prioritize people in any kind of isolation (including disciplinary, administrative, and gender-based segregation), jailhouse lawyers, those suffering retaliation as a result of their activism, and those with serious unmet medical needs. We also support family members of those on the inside who are also experiencing retaliation. PAN calls the individuals on the inside who we support correspondents.
What We Do
Our volunteers are trained in advocacy strategies and can assist with: requesting C-FILE and medical records; performing basic legal, medical, or similar research; assistance with internal appeals; writing letters to the Warden, Ombudsman, medical staff, and Inspector General; classification issues especially related to solitary or ad-seg status; overturning wrongful 115s; property issues; help preparing for parole; psych reports; making copies; calling prison officials; keeping copies of documentation of prison abuses; and supplying resources and information.
Intake/Referral Process
Referrals often come through people on the outside who have direct contact with potential Correspondents. We have an intake form on our website that people can use to make referrals: Intake Form. We also have a paper intake form that people on the inside can fill out and mail to us in order to refer themselves or another person. If you would like an intake form, write to us at the address above and request one. We train and pair people twice a year (September and February). Occasionally, we are also able to match people during other months of the year. Due to the nature of the mail system, and because we usually review cases and match correspondents only twice a year, there will be delays in communication with PAN until you are matched.

For more information, read our brochure or contact pan@nlgsf.org.

Donate to PAN

Our work depends largely on individual donations. To support the work of PAN, please consider making a donation at: paypal.me/prisoneradvocacy.

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We Know Our Rights

We Know Our Rights is a multimedia video toolkit for people dealing with law enforcement, produced by NLGSF and independent producers April Martin and Lucia Palmarini.

Designed to equip communities with practical information to protect themselves from unlawful arrests through tools that spark conversation, education and online engagement, We Know Our Rights is an important tool to help build our collective resistance across the country.

Derechos is the first installment of We Know Our Rights. Derechos, comprised of three short vignettes, depicts scenarios based upon actual encounters between immigrants and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents. Filmed with a cast and crew that is 80% LatinX, the vignettes in Derechos portray tense interactions with ICE agents and illustrate how to best respond when faced with intimidating and/or threatening situations.

Ver el tráiler:

Watch the trailer:

Protect our communities… share this film!

For more information on how to partner with us to provide promotion, distribution and outreach, please visit:
weknowourrights.com

Partnerships

NLGSF works closely with coalitions and working groups to strengthen movement building and resistance in the Bay Area. Below are two groups that we are currently working with:

Anti-Repression Committee

Originally formed to support Occupy Oakland actions, the Bay Area Anti-Repression Committee (ARC) stands against political repression and is in solidarity with all those who challenge the state, capitalism and other forms of systemic oppression and domination.  ARC provides support for actions that are anti-patriarchal, anti-racist, anti-imperialist & anti-capitalist. Its support work comes primarily in the form of education, information and referrals. ARC also manages an anti-repression bail fund for those that do not have the resources to bail or bond themselves.

Give to the Anti-Repression Committee Bail Fund

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Anti-Fascist Work Group

The Anti-Fascist Work Group (AFWG) is an informal network of grassroots community, activist and political networks committed to defending their own communities, movement spaces and activities, and local businesses against attacks by white supremacists and hate groups. In response to the growing presence of these organized forces, the AFWG coordinates de-escalation, non-violent security and training for faith-based, homeless, community-based and movement groups wishing to learn how to protect and defend themselves when faced with threats from these forces. AFWG organizes educational events to expose the rise of fascism, the misuse of the 1st amendment to allow hate speech, the growing collaboration between popular fascism and fascist elements in the government, and share the organizing being done to resist and oppose it. In addition, AFWG organizes to support activists, community members and organizations against state repression when they are targeted for defending themselves.

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