211 Congress Street
Boston, MA 02110
Telephone: 617-482-3170 / Collect calls accepted from clients only - Fax: 617-451-0009
Web site: www.aclum.org
Contact:
Intake Desk
Services:
The ACLU of Massachusetts investigates complaints of civil liberty violations. These complaints can include discriminatory practices related to: employment, housing, public places, and schools; name change and identity documents; health care coverage; transgender rights in prison; and criminal law and transgender people.
The Intake Desk is organized to take complaints by telephone or letter or fax. Walk-ins are not encouraged. Each written report is reviewed by the ACLU legal staff to determine if it is in fact a violation of civil liberties, whether litigating it will advance civil liberties protection, and whether the office has the resources to help.
The ACLU is a law reform, not a legal aid organization, and therefore litigates very few cases. However, the Intake Desk or the legal staff member to which the report is assigned will make referrals to other agencies and organizations that are appropriate to the reported incident.
The amount of time it takes to get a response to a complaint may be a few weeks and depends on the complexity of the complaint and staff availability.
The American Civil Liberties Union's (ACLU) national website section on Prisoners' Rights, posts several "Know Your Rights" brochures for prisoners, including:
- Legal Rights of Disabled Prisoners
- The Prison Litigation Reform Act (PLRA)
- Publications Sent by Mail
- Privileged and Non-Privileged Mail
- Pregnancy-Related Health Care in Prison or Jail
- Disciplinary Sanctions and Punishment
- Freedom of Religion
- Environmental Hazards and Toxic Materials
- Restrictions on Visitation
Visit: www.aclu.org/prisoners-rights
Service hours:
M - F: 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Requirements / Restrictions:
Service is available by telephone. Requests can also be made by mail or fax; however, e-mails are not accepted. Walks-ins are not encouraged.