Locked Out 2009

LockedOut is a resource list for gay, lesbian, bisexual, trans, and queer prisoners in the U.S. The list is free, but stamps are always welcome. Requests for books, legal aid, or pen pals will not be answered.

i am posting the 2009 list here ; please note that it is also available as a PDF from http://zinelibrary.info/files/lo2009.pdf

LockedOut is a resource list for gay, lesbian, bisexual, trans, and queer prisoners in the U.S. The list is free, but stamps are always welcome. Requests for books, legal aid, or pen pals will not be answered.

LockedOut
c/o Prison Book Project
P.O. Box 396
Amherst, MA
01004
2009 edition

Let us know if you write a group and don’t hear back. If you know about a group not listed, send us their address and we’ll ask them to be listed next time. Feedback welcome!


ABC Paralegal Services
P.O. Box 7187
Austin, TX 78713
Supports all prisoners unjustly convicted, whatever the race/ethnicity, sexual orientation or preferred identity. We are primarily a legal support group assisting political prisoners and social prisoners alike. We are an all volunteer and a free service, but always appreciate the help with whatever you can afford in postage stamps. We help with legal paper writing; court traffic; letters/calls/emails to government officials; furnish hard copy state codes/policy materials; case law research to name the main services.

ACLU National Prison Project
HIV/AIDS/Hepatitis Education Project
915 15th St. NW, 7th Floor
Washington, D.C. 20005
Sends free information on HIV/AIDS/Hepatitis to prisoners. Responds to complaints from prisoners living with HIV/AIDS/Hepatitis and LGBT prisoners. Publishes the STD booklet, Play It Safer, write for a free copy.
Black and Pink c/o Jason Lydon Community Church of Boston 565 Boylston Street Boston, MA 02116
Provides a list online of Trans/Queer/GLB prisoners who are seeking pen pals. Occasionally are able to provide some direct advocacy for individuals or cell-blocks. Send a 25-word (non-sexual) description of what you want from a pen-pal friendship to be listed online.

Books Through Bars
c/o Bluestockings Bookstore
172 Allen St.
New York, NY 10002
Sends free community-donated books to people in state and federal prison. Will send to any state that allows the books in -- please send any special regulations with your request. Specializes in history and social studies, though we sometimes have fiction written by or about LGBT people. No catalog. 1 request per 6-month period.

Brothers Behind Bars
c/o RFD (Radical Faerie Digest)
P.O. Box 68
Liberty, TN
37095
A quarterly penpal list of gay/bi/trans male prisoners produced and distributed by RFD. Write for details.

California Coalition for Women Prisoners
1540 Market St., Suite 490
San Francisco, CA 94102
Organizes with women and transgender prisoners. Programs include: medical/legal resources and information through correspondence, legal visits to CA state women’s prisons and SF women’s county jail, The Fire Inside quarterly newsletter (free to prisoners), community education and organizing campaigns, and Compañeras--non U.S. citizen women and trans prisoners organizing around immigration and imprisonment.

Cleveland Books to Prisoners
P.O. Box 602440
Cleveland, OH 44102
Sends free books to people in Ohio prisons upon request only. We are a GLBTQ-friendly program, and we seek to increase our connection to GLBTQ people incarcerated in Ohio prisons. We also have a pen pal program.

Community United Against Violence
170 A Capp St.
San Francisco, CA 94117
Supports the healing and leadership of LGBTQQ people impacted by violence and abuse. As part of the larger social justice movement, CUAV is working to build safe, whole communities where everyone can thrive. You are not alone. LGBTQQ people in prisons and jails are encouraged to call our 24-hour Safety Line at (415) 333-HELP (4357) for support and referrals--we accept collect calls.

Critical Resistance
1904 Franklin St., Suite 504
Oakland, CA 94612
A nationwide, grassroots organization that seeks to end our reliance on prisons, policing and surveillance. We believe that what makes our communities truly safe are jobs, education, food, shelter and the right to self determination for all individuals. Write for details and a free newspaper.

Human Rights Coalition Fedup!
Pittsburgh Chapter
5125 Thomas Merton Center
Pittsburgh, PA 15224
A prisoner advocacy group working with prisoners in PA. We have an extensive abuse log in which we collect evidence and testimony of those incarcerated for public viewing. We have biweekly letter writing nights to send resources to those incarcerated, we educate the public on prison issues through art exhibits and film screenings, and we also conduct research on prison related issues. We are looking to broaden the base of prisoners we communicate with. Write for details.

Internationalist Prison Books Collective
405 W. Franklin St.
Chapel Hill, NC 27516
Sends books to prisoners in AL, MS, and NC only.

Just Detention International
3325 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 340
Los Angeles, CA 90010
A human rights organization that seeks to end sexual abuse against men, women, and youth in all forms of detention. JDI has three core goals: to hold government accountable for prisoner rape; to transform ill-informed public attitudes about sexual assault behind bars; and to ensure that those who have survived this form of abuse get the help they need. Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ) prisoners who have been sexually assaulted behind bars are encouraged to contact JDI for a packet of information that includes a list of local and national resources for prisoner rape survivors. Survivors can write to JDI via “Legal Mail” by addressing their letter to Melissa Rothstein, Esq. at the address above.

Out of Control Lesbian Committee to Support Women Political Prisoners
3543 18th St., Box 30
San Francisco, CA 94110
Supports women prisoners and political prisoners in the U.S. and internationally. Publishes Out of Time newsletter. Free, donations welcome.

POZ
500 Fifth Ave., Suite 320
New York, NY 10110
Free subscription to any HIV+ person who can’t afford it. Write for details.

Queers Against Prisons-Philly
210 S. 49th St
Philadelphia, PA 19139
Hosts a weekly letter writing night called our Black & Pink Letter Writing Program. This is our primary resource for queer prisoners, as we are a group of queers who are interested in corresponding with imprisoned queers. We hope to work as a clearinghouse, connecting those inside with resources and contact on the outside. Write for details.

Prison Book Program
1306 Hancock St., Suite 100
Quincy, MA 02169
Offers National Prisoners Resource List free to prisoners. Book requests accepted, except from CA, KY, LA, MD, MI, NV, OR, and TX. Stamps welcome.

Prison Book Project
P.O. Box 396
Amherst, MA 01004
Sends books to prisoners in CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, TX, and VT.

South Chicago ABC Zine Distro
P.O. Box 721
Homewood, IL 60430
We provide hundreds of zine titles to prisoners - catalogs, resource guides, analysis, history, all kinds of education and literature - all in zine form. We have some GLBTQ titles. Write for catalog.

Sylvia Rivera Law Project
322 8th Ave., 3rd Floor
New York, NY 10001
Provides free civil legal services and a pen pal program to incarcerated people in New York who are transgender, intersex, or gender nonconforming. We are a collectively-run organization that seeks to make systemic change and increase the political power of our communities.

TGI (Transgender, Gender Variant and Intersex) Justice Project
342 9th Street, Suite 202B
San Francisco, CA 94103
Write for details.

TIG Prisoner Pen Pal Project
426 President St.
Brooklyn, NY 11231
We are a list for transgender, intersexed, genderqueer, and gender-variant prisoners to find penpals for support and friendship. Please send us a brief posting about yourself, your contact information, and any regulations in your institution (no mail from other prisoners, etc). It can take a long time to match interested people with penpals, so please be patient.

Wisconsin Books to Prisoners
Rainbow Bookstore
426 W. Gilman St.
Madison,WI 53703
Sends books to WI prisoners and LGBT prisoners nationwide.