"Providing effective legal services efficiently and with excellence."

NCPLS handles a variety of legal matters involving prison conditions and criminal convictions. Unfortunately, we lack the resources to provide representation to every prisoner who requests our help. Therefore, we have established priorities for case acceptance so we can address the most serious problems of incarcerated persons. The most important considerations affecting acceptance of any case are the extent of injury to the client, the strength of the evidence supporting a recognized legal theory of liability, and the importance of the issue to prisoners in general.

We give top priority to the following types of cases:

• excessive force by an officer resulting in personal injury to a prisoner;
• failure to protect a prisoner from other prisoners, resulting in personal injury;
• inhumane or overcrowded conditions of life in jails and prisons;
• indifference to, or neglect of the serious medical and mental health needs of prisoners;
• criminal convictions obtained in violation of the defendant's constitutional rights

The following types of complaints are of medium priority:

• injuries resulting from unsafe living conditions or the negligence of a DOC employee;
• retaliation or threats due to use of the inmate grievance procedure, or denial of reasonable access to the procedure
• unreasonable denial of access to reading materials;
• unreasonable interference with religious practices;
• interference with legal mail or access to the courts;
• racial discrimination;
• family matters involving child custody or visitation.

The following types of cases are considered low priority and will not be accepted for legal representation in the absence of unusual circumstances:

• criminal cases that are still on direct appeal, complaints about the way a direct appeal is being handled, petitions for discretionary review, and requests for transcripts;
  
• DOC disciplinary proceedings;
• confiscation of inmate property other than reading materials or religious articles;
  
• family matters which do not involve children, such as divorce, alimony and distribution of marital property;
• legal disputes with persons outside the DOC that do not involve prisoner rights, for example, landlord-tenant, auto
• negligence, wills and inheritance, and contract matters.