Forms / Applications

We understand that navigating various forms and applications can be daunting. If you require assistance with filling out or submitting any forms, please don't hesitate to reach out to us. Our team is here to provide guidance and support throughout the process. We aim to make these tasks as straightforward as possible for you and your loved ones.

Application for Social Security Card (pdf)

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Application for Vital Record Form (pdf)

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Massachusetts Application for Healthcare (pdf)

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REAL ID, Standard CDL, Standard ID Card Documents Checklist (pdf)

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SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) Benefits Application (pdf)

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https://www.intelligent.com/education-and-career-guide-after-incarceration/Education resources for returning citizens

https://resume.io/blog/how-to-list-a-ged For many people, earning a GED while incarcerated is a huge accomplishment, and listing it correctly on a resume or job application is crucial when searching for employment opportunities.

https://justice4housing.org/Justice 4 Housing is a grassroots organization committed to end housing discrimination and homelessness for justice involved individuals impacted by domestic violence and incarceration.

After Innocence After Innocence is an organization that provides assistance for wrongfully convicted prisoners upon their release. Realizing the tremendous disadvantages these former inmates face. After Innocence works to coordinate with different social services in order to ease the transition of former inmates into civilian life.

Family ReEntry Family ReEntry is a nonprofit organization that works to provide community based services to individuals and families impacted by the criminal justice system. Through the integration of three sectors; Prevention, Intervention, and, Reentry, Family ReEntry aims to break the cycle of incarceration.

National Reentry Resource Center This site, maintained by the Dept. of Justice, profiles prisoner reentry grant programs and resources. A number of downloadable publications related to reentry and recidivism are also available.

Federal Bonding Program Information page for the Federal Bonding Program, which provides free fidelity bonds to employers as an incentive to hire ex-prisoners.

New York Public Library's Correctional Services The New York Public Library's Correctional Services delivers a range of library programs at city, state, and federal facilities, including Connections, an annual guide and directory of resources in New York City available to help people when they are released from incarceration.

Prisoner Reentry Network The Prison Reentry Network is a nonprofit that works with prisoner prior to their release in aiding their transition back into their communities. Their work encompasses providing information to inmates on how to find food, shelter, and work opportunities. They distribute this information directly to prisoners through print editions of their programs as well as online to the families of the incarcerated individuals.

Restoration of Human Rights Project The National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers offers a collection of individual downloadable documents that profile the law and practice in each U.S. jurisdiction relating to relief from the collateral consequences of conviction. 54 jurisdictional profiles include provisions on loss and restoration of civil rights and firearms privileges, legal mechanisms for overcoming or mitigating collateral consequences, and provisions addressing non-discrimination in employment and licensing.

The Fortune Society Provides post-release services and programs for prisoners in the New York City area and occasionally publishes Fortune News, a free publication for prisoners that deals with criminal justice issues, primarily in New York

Angel Tree Prison Fellowship’s Angel Tree ministry serves the children of prisoners by giving them gifts on behalf of their incarcerated parents and by surrounding them all year long with a loving community. For more information on Angel Tree, click here or contact their National Angel Tree Support Center at 1-800-251-7411.

Prisoner Pen Pals You could reach out to other inmates by becoming a pen pal. Contact CLPRM to become part of this ministry. Or start your own pen pal ministry using the Visit Prison in an Envelope guide from Prison Fellowship. Sometimes the best way out of a dark place is to reach out with much-needed source of encouragement and friendship to a lonely prisoner. This simple guide explains how to find a prisoner pen pal, how to write letters of encouragement and discipleship, and how to trouble-shoot typical problems that may arise.

Bethel Bible Village Residential care agency provides support and ministry to children and youth of families shattered by crime and troubled environments.

Center for Children of Incarcerated Parents The Center for Children of Incarcerated Parents provides services in four components. (1) The Information component includes publications and audio-visual materials free of charge to prisoners, their children and their families; and provides advice to groups of incarcerated parents and family members. (2) The Educational component provides materials and holds parent education training for parents in the criminal justice system. A correspondence course in parent education is offered free of charge to incarcerated parents. (3) The Family Reunification component has about 60 service projects to help prisoners and their children maintain a relationship. (4) The Therapeutic Component provides therapy for incarcerated mothers and their infants and young children.

Families for Justice as Healing Families for Justice as Healing focuses on raising public awareness about the incarceration of women and the impact on children and communities.

Child Welfare Information Gateway Provides information and resources related to issues involving incarcerated parents and their children.

Forever Family (Formerly Aid to Children of Imprisoned Mothers) Forever Family (formerly AIM) is a service organization based in Georgia (with chapters in other states). The agency assists incarcerated mothers, their children and other family members in maintaining critically important family ties during the mother's incarceration.

Friends Outside Friends Outside is a advocacy and outreach organization committed to improving the quality of life of families, children and communities impacted by incarceration, and to assisting with successful community reentry and family reunification for those transitioning from confinement to freedom. Friends Outside provides direct services to prisoners and their families in the State of California, and conducts advocacy worldwide.

Legal Services for Prisoners with Children (LSPC) Legal Services for Prisoners with Children (LSPC) offers a comprehensive site dealing with issues involving incarcerated parents, families and children of prisoners, and women prisoners. Their focus is on women prisoners and their families, as well as prisoners rights. Publications available through their site include the Incarcerated Parents Manual, which is highly recommended.

Prison: The Hidden SentencePrison: The Hidden Sentence is a blog and online platform with a focus on educating and empowering families and friends of incarcerated individuals. The aim and purpose of which is to create a community where the people affected can share their stories with one another.

Save Kids of Incarcerated Parents (SKIP) Save Kids of Incarcerated Parents (SKIP) has chapters in several states; the organization provides supportive services to children of incarcerated parents and their families, and seeks to increase public awareness of the underlying problems these children face.

The National Resource Center on Children and Families of the Incarcerated NRCCFI is the oldest and largest organization in the U.S. focused on children and families of the incarcerated and programs that serve them, providing a comprehensive directory of programs, a library of helpful resources, and more.

https://pigly.com/savings/guide-for-kids.php
Pigly is a free online personal finance guide offering over 100 financial calculators.

https://followsuitmentoring.com: Follow Suit mentorship program enhances the quality of life of the young men we serve by our commitment to their spiritual, social, emotional and intellectual development.

https://nnw4justice.com/: Never not working for justice arededicated to confronting one of the most profound injustices within our legal system: wrongful convictions. Our mission goes beyond mere statistics – we are committed to raising awareness, providing critical resources, and amplifying the voices of those impacted by wrongful imprisonment.

https://utecinc.org/: UTEC helps young people overcome the challenges of poverty, gang involvement, and unemployment.

https://familynurturing.org: Family nurturing programs are designed for parents and children to experience together. Family members learn how to build their nurturing skills and understanding of healthy development, appropriate expectations, and discipline with dignity.

https://www.justsolvent.com: Solvent empowers the financially excluded, disadvantaged, underserved and overlooked through affordable technology-driven financial empowerment tools, products and services around banking, credit, financial literacy and entrepreneurship education, and more.

https://www.everydayboston.org/the-bridge-project: The Bridge Project helps incarcerated and formerly incarcerated people strengthen their life skills, sense of self-worth, and feeling of belonging, so they can become active, engaged citizens of Boston and beyond.

https://www.wab2g.org/services: We Are Better Together Warren Daniel Hairston Project (WAB2G) connects and heals women and girls affected by homicide and incarceration to prevent the cycles of violence and victimization.

https://www.yardtimeent.org: Mental Health support groups.

https://www.outforgoodbehavioralservices.org: Mental Health and substance abuse support.

https://www.freefuquan.com/theharriettubmanproject: The Harriet Tubman Project is a modern railroad to mental and physical freedom. Currently we serve the wrongfully convicted, the actually & factually innocent men of MCI Norfolk Correctional Facility.

https://www.responsibleparty3.com: Our mission is to foster a restorative justice framework that recognizes the inherent worth and interconnectedness of all individuals.

https://www.mass.gov/masshire-career-centers: MassHire Career Centers serve as a vital link between workers and employers to bring about economic opportunity.

https://www.fathersuplift.org: Fathers' UpLift provides mental health counseling, coaching, advocacy, and resource support to assist fathers with overcoming barriers (racism, emotional, traumatic, and addiction-based barriers) that prevent them from remaining engaged in their children's lives.

https://nbreentry.org: empowers incarcerated and formerly incarcerated individuals.

https://www.boston.gov/departments/returning-citizens: city of Boston services for returning citizens.

https://mahomeless.org/individual-shelters/: homeless shelters.

https://accessma.org/: develop, support, and address reentry efforts and initiatives to assist returning citizens, their families, and their communities.

https://www.boston.gov/departments/workforce-development/powercorpsbos: PowerCorpsBOS is a 10-month Green Industry Workforce Development Program. It provides young adults with training, career readiness support, and connections to employers in the green industry. An “earn and learn” program, PowerCorpsBOS pays members to participate in hands-on training that prepares them for living-wage careers.

https://teenempowerment.org/: Teen empowerment employ, train, and empower youth.

https://www.fountainfund.org/: Provide low-interest loans and financial coaching to formerly incarcerated people, helping them build credit and achieve their self-determined goals. The Fountain Fund also advocates for public policy that increases economic opportunities and reduces obstacles for formerly incarcerated people.

https://rizeprevention.org/: Equip teens with the knowledge, skills, and resilience they need to grow up drug-free, ensuring a brighter and healthier future.

https://www.transformprison.org/overview.html: TPP encourages healing and accountability by facilitating restorative dialogue between those responsible for harm and those who have experienced harm.

https://www.boston.gov/departments/returning-citizens: The Office of Returning Citizens envisions a Boston where returning citizens can return to their families, flourish in their communities, and regain their sense of dignity.

https://www.boston.gov/departments/black-male-advancement: The Office of Black Male Advancement improves outcomes and reduce systemic barriers to advancement for Black men and boys living in Boston.

https://ldbpeaceinstitute.org/: Louis D. Brown Peace Institute is a center of healing, teaching, and learning for families and communities impacted by murder, trauma, grief, and loss.

Housing Resources

Emergency Shelter Listings

Betty’s Place – Boston YWCA (Transitional housing) 40 Berkley Street Boston, MA 02116 617-482-1126
Bristol Lodge Men’s Shelter 27 Lexington Street P.O. Box 54-1095 Waltham, MA 02454-1095 (781) 893-0108
Bristol Lodge Women’s Shelter 205 Bacon Street P.O. Box 54-1095 Waltham, MA 02454-1095 (781) 893-0108
Cambridge Shelter Inc. 109 School St. Cambridge, MA 02139 (617) 547-1885
College Avenue Adult Shelter P.O. Box 440436 14 Chapel Street Somerville, MA 02144 (617) 623-6111
First Church Shelter 11 Garden St. Cambridge, MA 02138 (617) 661-1873
Harvard Square Homeless Shelter /University Lutheran Shelter 66 Winthrop Street Cambridge, MA 02138 617-547-2841 (shelter) 617-876-3256 (church)
Kingston House, Boston Rescue Mission 39 Kingston St. Boston, MA 02111 (617) 482-8819
New England Shelter for Homeless Veterans* 17 Court Street Boston, MA 02108 (617) 371-1800
Pilgrim Church Shelter 540 Columbia Rd. Dorchester, MA 02125 617 436-2588
Pine Street Inn – Men’s Unit 444 Harrison Ave. Boston, MA 02118 (617) 482-4944
Pine Street Inn – Women’s Unit 363 Albany Street Boston, MA 02118 (617) 521-7189
Rosie’s Place 889 Harrison Avenue Boston, MA 02118 617-442-9322
St. Patrick’s Shelter 270 Washington St. Somerville, MA 02143 (617) 628-3015
Salvation Army Cambridge Shelter 402 Mass. Avenue Cambridge, MA 02139 (617) 547-3400
Santa Maria 11 Waltham Street Boston, MA 02118 (617) 423-4366
Shattuck Shelter at Shattuck Hospital, Hope Bound 170 Morton St. Jamaica Plain, MA 02130 (617) 983-7197
Southampton Street Shelter (Boston Public Health Commission; replaced the former Long Island Shelter as of June 2015) 112 Southampton Street Boston, MA 02118
United Homes Adult Shelter 540 Columbia Road Dorchester, MA 02125 617-282-0456
Woods Mullen Shelter (Boston Public Health Commission) 784 Rear Mass. Avenue Boston, MA 02119 (617) 534-2526

Criminal Justice Reform and Advocacy

National PREA Resource Center The National PREA Resource Center provides information about the Prison Rape Elimination Act standards, and implementation of PREA in correctional facilities nationwide.

Perilous - A chronicle of prison unrest across the US and Canada 2010-Present Perilous is a project supported by a network of people—including you—who seek to gather and track information on prison uprisings, riots, protests, strikes, and other disturbances within public and private jails, prisons, and detention centers in the US and Canada. In this process, we rely on crowdsourced information in addition to local news outlets and our own reporting.

Recidivism: The Ultimate Guide A comprehensive guide to recidivism, including facts and statistics about recidivism rates as well as causes and impacts.

The Next Frontier in the Criminal Justice Conversation This resource explores the Sixth Amendment, which guarantees a defendant's right to counsel, and discusses how the poor are still disadvantaged in court despite this right. The resource also provides statistics regarding the amount of money the United States spends on public defense in comparison to other major countries, and how many public defenders are being overworked.

Formerly Incarcerated & Convicted Peoples Movement At the forefront of leadership in the struggle to end the US system of mass incarceration stands the Formerly Incarcerated and Convicted People’s Movement (FICPM), a nationwide coalition of formerly incarcerated men and women who are holding forth a radical vision for justice and transformation, and who are putting that vision to work in towns and cities across the nation.

National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers The National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL) is the preeminent organization in the United States advancing the mission of the nation's criminal defense lawyers to ensure justice and due process for persons accused of crime or other misconduct. A professional bar association founded in 1958, NACDL's approximately 9,200 direct members in 28 countries - and 90 state, provincial and local affiliate organizations totaling up to 40,000 attorneys -- include private criminal defense lawyers, public defenders, active U.S. military defense counsel, law professors and judges committed to preserving fairness within America's criminal justice system. In addition to its website, resources include NACDL's State Criminal Justice Network Conference, Advocacy Calls, NACDL First Amendment Project and NACDL Reports.

JustLeadershipUSA JLUSA is a national criminal justice advocacy organization dedicated to cutting the U.S. correctional population in half by 2030. We believe those closest to the problem are closest to the solution, and we are committed to lifting the voices of currently and formerly incarcerated leaders in the policy conversation. Contact: JustLeadershipUSA, 1900 Lexington Avenue, New York, NY 10035; (347)-454-2195.

Justice Policy Institute The Justice Policy Institute works to end over-reliance on incarceration and advocates for alternatives to prison through research, public education and media outreach.

The Open File Blog This website is the culmination of the work of an informal collection of lawyers, law professors, law students and policy advocates who are concerned about prosecutorial misconduct.

Real Cost of Prisons Project Works to inform people about the real cost of prisons and mass incarceration; publishes the Real Cost of Prisons Comix; hosts the Coalition for Prisoners' Rights Newsletters on their site.

Taxpayers for Improving Public Safety The site for Taxpayers for Improving Public Safety. Works to address the needs of "Inmates & Victims, Children and the Prison Reform Community," with an emphasis on California, where they are based.

Criminal Justice Reform and Advocacy

National PREA Resource Center The National PREA Resource Center provides information about the Prison Rape Elimination Act standards, and implementation of PREA in correctional facilities nationwide.

https://www.mlri.org/: MLRI provides statewide advocacy and leadership in advancing laws, policies, and practices that secure economic, racial, and social justice for low-income people and communities.

https://frisonlawfirm.com/: Frison Law Firm has the knowledge, expertise, and resources necessary to provide you with the representation you .

Perilous - A chronicle of prison unrest across the US and Canada 2010-Present Perilous is a project supported by a network of people—including you—who seek to gather and track information on prison uprisings, riots, protests, strikes, and other disturbances within public and private jails, prisons, and detention centers in the US and Canada. In this process, we rely on crowdsourced information in addition to local news outlets and our own reporting.

Recidivism: The Ultimate Guide A comprehensive guide to recidivism, including facts and statistics about recidivism rates as well as causes and impacts.

The Next Frontier in the Criminal Justice Conversation This resource explores the Sixth Amendment, which guarantees a defendant's right to counsel, and discusses how the poor are still disadvantaged in court despite this right. The resource also provides statistics regarding the amount of money the United States spends on public defense in comparison to other major countries, and how many public defenders are being overworked.

Formerly Incarcerated & Convicted Peoples Movement At the forefront of leadership in the struggle to end the US system of mass incarceration stands the Formerly Incarcerated and Convicted People’s Movement (FICPM), a nationwide coalition of formerly incarcerated men and women who are holding forth a radical vision for justice and transformation, and who are putting that vision to work in towns and cities across the nation.

National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers The National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL) is the preeminent organization in the United States advancing the mission of the nation's criminal defense lawyers to ensure justice and due process for persons accused of crime or other misconduct. A professional bar association founded in 1958, NACDL's approximately 9,200 direct members in 28 countries - and 90 state, provincial and local affiliate organizations totaling up to 40,000 attorneys -- include private criminal defense lawyers, public defenders, active U.S. military defense counsel, law professors and judges committed to preserving fairness within America's criminal justice system. In addition to its website, resources include NACDL's State Criminal Justice Network Conference, Advocacy Calls, NACDL First Amendment Project and NACDL Reports.

JustLeadershipUSA JLUSA is a national criminal justice advocacy organization dedicated to cutting the U.S. correctional population in half by 2030. We believe those closest to the problem are closest to the solution, and we are committed to lifting the voices of currently and formerly incarcerated leaders in the policy conversation. Contact: JustLeadershipUSA, 1900 Lexington Avenue, New York, NY 10035; (347)-454-2195.

Justice Policy Institute The Justice Policy Institute works to end over-reliance on incarceration and advocates for alternatives to prison through research, public education and media outreach.

The Open File BlogThis website is the culmination of the work of an informal collection of lawyers, law professors, law students and policy advocates who are concerned about prosecutorial misconduct.

Real Cost of Prisons Project Works to inform people about the real cost of prisons and mass incarceration; publishes the Real Cost of Prisons Comix; hosts the Coalition for Prisoners' Rights Newsletters on their site.

Taxpayers for Improving Public Safety The site for Taxpayers for Improving Public Safety. Works to address the needs of "Inmates & Victims, Children and the Prison Reform Community," with an emphasis on California, where they are based.

Legal Guides

My Little Red Rules Book The Little Red Rules Book is a pocket-size publication containing the Federal Rules of Evidence, some selected Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure and some other useful references for use in court, published by the Federal Defenders of Eastern Washington and Idaho. The publication contains annotations with case citations. To obtain a copy please send a check or money order for $6.00 payable to the Federal Defenders of Eastern Washington and Idaho, 10 North Post St., Suite 700, Spokane, WA 99201.

Incarceration and the Law A fully overhauled, updated, and expanded edition of the leading case book on incarceration which examines the complex legal regime that defines prisoners’ rights.

Free Law Project's RECAP Archive The RECAP Archive is a free, searchable archive of millions of court records and dockets dating back to 1960.

AllLaw.comAllLaw.com is a general resource site for legal issues, with a variety of subject areas for both consumers and legal professionals.

American Civil Liberties Union - National Prison Project The ACLU National Prison Project is involved in prison-related litigation nationwide, often through class-action lawsuits, and also advocates for criminal justice policy reform.

Civil Rights Litigation Clearinghouse The Civil Rights Litigation Clearinghouse collects information and documents from civil rights cases in a variety of subject categories, including prison conditions, jail conditions, policing, juvenile facilities, and election/voting rights.

Federal Criminal Law A low-cost paid subscription legal research site devoted exclusively to criminal law, with some information on prison legal issues, too.

Collateral Consequences Resource Center An overview of state expungement and sealing laws to help individuals with a criminal record overcome barriers to employment and licensing through clearing their records. It includes links to other useful websites and case documents as well.

Federal Judicial Center An educational and informational site for federal courts and federal judges.

Federal Pattern Jury Instructions - Circuit, District Courts This site includes pattern jury instructions for federal circuit and district courts, among many other resources.

Findlaw FindLaw provides a comprehensive set of legal resources legal professionals, businesses, students and individuals. These resources include Web search utilities, state and federal cases and codes, legal news, an online career center, message boards and even free e-mail.

LawInfo.com LawInfo.com is a general legal assistance site that includes an attorney locator, legal forms, legal guides, instructional videos and other free legal resources.

Lawyers.com Provides access to "criminal law basics" information; also has links to criminal law statutes for most states.

Martindale-Hubbell Provides a searchable directory for locating attorneys.

National Lawyers Guild The National Lawyers Guild is an advocacy organization dedicated to the need for basic change in the structure of our political and economic system; members include lawyers, law students, legal workers and jailhouse lawyers. They sponsor a Jailhouse Lawyers project and a Prison Law Project (New York).

Oyez Multimedia project that maintains audio files of select U.S. Supreme Court oral arguments.

PACE Law Library - Prisoners' Rights The PACE Law Library maintains a legal resource section on issues related to prisoners' rights.

Prison Law Office A non-profit public interest law firm that litigates prison-related issues in California. They offer a variety of prisoner legal self-help materials on their site.

The Expert Company - Prison and Jail experts The Expert Company provides a fee-based service that connects attorneys with experts; their database of experts includes those with experience and expertise in prison and jail-related litigation.

U.S. Supreme Court Center Easily accessible U.S. Supreme Court decisions (full text) from 1791 to 2004. Plus blogs on the Supreme Court and Constitutional rights.

The Life After Prison

Forms / Applications

Communication Resources

Organizations

Housing Resources

Emergency Shelter Listings

Understanding the criminal justice system

Criminal Justice Reform and Advocacy

Criminal Justice Reform and Advocacy

Links to Criminal Justice Resources

Legal Guides

Legal Aid

Frison law firm

Covid Tracking

CoVID-19 TRACKING IN PRISON

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Financial Education

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