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CONTRIBUTING TO PLS
Prisoners’ Legal Services of New York (PLS) is a private, not-for-profit corporation that relies primarily upon New York State for its funding. PLS’ support from New York State is roughly half of what it was in 1997 and has remained stagnant since 2001. Despite this, PLS continues to provide desperately needed legal services to New York’s state prison population, although we have been forced to become more selective regarding the cases we accept for investigation.
If you wish to support PLS,
please send your contribution for PLS to:
Karen Murtagh-Monks , Executive Director
Prisoners’ Legal Services of New York
41 State Street, Suite M112, Albany, NY 12207
Or donate online now, via Paypal:
All contributions are tax deductible to the extent provided by law.
WHAT ELSE YOU CAN DO TO HELP PLS
1. Contact the Governor and urge him to join with the Assembly and Senate in funding Prisoners’ Legal Services. You can contact the Governor by phone, e-mail or letter:
- Call Governor Paterson at 1-518-474-8390 or 1-518-474-7516 (Albany) or 1-212-681-4580 (NYC);
- E-mail Governor Paterson at: http://161.11.121.121/govemail;
- Write to the Governor by addressing the letter to:
All three phone numbers connect you to a person in the Governor’s office. Tell the person you wish to leave a message for the Governor. Keep your message brief but strongly advocate for a prompt budget that includes funding for Prisoners’ Legal Services. Keep calling until a budget for 2009-2010 has been passed. Even if the press reports that serious talks are taking place, keep calling until the budget is passed.
The following is a suggested message: “Please tell the Governor that funding for PLS is vital to public safety and public health and is a sound economic investment. In these tough economic times it is critical that the Governor show leadership on the issues that are important to the safety and economic stability of this State. The 2009-2010 budget must include adequate funding for Prisoners’ Legal Services of New York and for other legal aid programs that provide civil legal services to low income citizens.”
2. Contact your local Assembly members and Senator. If you do not know who your Assembly or Senate representative is go to http://nymap.elections.state.ny.us/nysboe/, type in your address and hit enter. Information on your elected representatives will appear on the right-hand side of your screen. If you click on the name of your representative, you will be able to access contact information for that person.
For the past thirteen years, PLS has been funded through an Assembly “add” to the Governor’s budget. Support from rank and file members of the Assembly is very important in making the legislative leaders see that PLS has broad support. Particularly important are Assembly members in locations where PLS has an office. When you call or write their offices, identify yourself as a constituent.
3. Contact the Chairs of Important Assembly and Senate Committees
We have strong support from the following influential Assembly and Senate members. Call or write them on our behalf.
Assemblyman Jeffrion Aubry, Chair, Corrections Committee: http://assembly.state.ny.us/mem/?ad=035
Senator Ruth Hassell-Thompson, Chair, Crime, Crime Victims and Corrections: http://www.nyssenate36.com/36/Default.aspx
Senator Velmanette Montgomery,Chair, Children and Families: http://www.nyssenate18.com/18/Default.aspx
4. Write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper, especially in locations where PLS has an office.
Local education and pressure makes a difference. Legislators monitor the local papers to see what their constituents are concerned about. Let them know about PLS and the loss of needed legal services to inmates. Sample letter:
Dear Editor:
In these tough economic times, as the Governor and the Legislature deliberate over the 2009-2010 state budget, it is essential that they make funding decisions based on an informed analysis of what programs best serve the economic and public safety needs of this State. Many not-for-profit agencies that provide civil legal services for low income citizens, community mental health programs, re-entry programs, criminal defense services for low income citizens, and legal services to state prison inmates have seen either decreases or stagnation in their funding over the past 15 years. And yet, many of these programs are essential to ensuring public safety and, when funded properly, often save the State money. Prisoners’ Legal Services of New York (PLS) is one such organization.
PLS has provided civil legal services to indigent inmates in all 70 New York State prisons since 1976, on issues involving access to medical and mental health care, sexual abuse, excessive force, challenges to lengthy sentences to solitary confinement and parole and other sentence matters. PLS is a critical and integral part of the State’s criminal justice system.
As a not-for-profit, however, PLS has repeatedly been a victim of state budget cuts and inadequate funding. After nearly going out of business in 1998 when then-Governor Pataki vetoed all funding for PLS, it rebuilt its program and has continued to provide essential legal services to thousands of inmates in our New York State prisons. However, PLS has had to curtail operations because of stagnant funding for the past seven years. Presently PLS only has 12 attorneys to provide representation to over 60,000 inmates.
The Governor and the legislative leaders must pass a budget which provides adequate funding for state contract agencies like PLS.
PLEASE PASS THIS INFORMATION ON TO YOUR FAMILY MEMBERS, CO-WORKERS, FRIENDS AND ANYONE WHO WILL LISTEN AND ARE WILLING TO ACT NOW TO ENSURE THAT PLS CAN CONTINUE TO PROVIDE LEGAL SERVICES TO PRISONERS.
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