Under California Rules of Court, rule 8.520(f), Legal Services for Prisoners with Children, Los Angeles Dependency Lawyers Inc., East Bay Family Defenders, and East Bay Community Law Center request leave to file the attached amicus curiae brief. The brief addresses the second issue on which the Court granted review: “Is an appeal of a juvenile court’s jurisdictional finding moot when a parent asserts that he or she may be barred from challenging a current or future placement on the Child Abuse Central Index as a result of the finding?”
2021
Jailhouse Lawyer’s Handbook
Since 1974, the Jailhouse Lawyer’s Handbook has supported people who are incarcerated, their families, and advocates in challenging mistreatment and abuse in prisons. The Center for Constitutional Rights and the National Lawyers Guild launched an updated and revised version of the free resource in August 2021. The Jailhouse Lawyer’s Handbook offers a rich overview of key steps one can take when crafting a lawsuit to improve conditions, mitigate abusive practices and policies, and ensure access to crucial services and support. Lawsuits are not the only way to challenge such issues, or necessarily the best way, but litigation can be a powerful tool. The Handbook aims to demystify legal issues and help democratize the struggle against prison abuse.
