named programs · 4 · from sources
What they call their work
Access to Courts Program
Ensures incarcerated individuals can exercise their constitutional right to legal representation and court access for civil rights claims.
Disciplinary Representation Unit
Provides legal representation to incarcerated individuals facing internal prison disciplinary charges that could result in loss of good time, solitary confinement, or transfer.
Immigration Unit
Offers legal representation to incarcerated individuals facing deportation, detained immigrants in upstate jails, and unaccompanied immigrant children at Berkshire Farms.
Rapid Response Unit
Provides timely immigration legal services to individuals detained or at risk of detention in eight upstate New York counties.
activities · 6 groups
What they do
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Pro Bono Legal Representation and Support 2 activities
- Operates a Pro Bono Partnership Program to expand legal services for prisonersManages a program established in 2011 that increases access to legal representation by referring prisoner cases to volunteer attorneys. Provides training, CLE credits, office resources, liability coverage, and logistical support—including prison visit coordination through five field offices—to facilitate pro bono participation.
- Provides legal representation to indigent prisoners to secure civil and human rightsOffers direct legal services to incarcerated individuals in New York state prisons, including representation in disciplinary hearings, access to medical and mental health care, correction of sentencing errors, and protection of constitutional rights. Services are provided both directly by staff and through coordination with pro bono attorneys.
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Criminal Justice Policy Advocacy 1 activity
- Advocates for humane treatment in prisons and reform of the criminal justice systemEngages in systemic advocacy to improve prison conditions and advance criminal justice reform, including litigation and policy initiatives focused on solitary confinement, disability rights, and immigrant detention practices. Initiatives include class-action lawsuits and federal litigation to enforce constitutional and statutory rights.
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Reentry Support Services 1 activity
- Assists formerly incarcerated individuals with reintegration and reducing recidivismOffers tools and legal support to help formerly incarcerated individuals avoid returning to prison, including assistance with reentry planning, access to education and vocational programs, and advocacy for restoration of rights and benefits.
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Immigration Legal Services 1 activity
- Provides immigration legal representation to non-citizen prisoners and detained immigrantsDelivers legal services to non-citizen incarcerated individuals facing deportation, including representation in removal proceedings and habeas corpus petitions. Operates a Rapid Response Unit serving immigrant detainees in county jails across upstate New York and provides holistic legal support to unaccompanied children in federal custody at Berkshire Farms. Handles over 300 deportation cases annually with a close to 38% success rate.
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Family and Juvenile Legal Defense 1 activity
- Provides legal support for incarcerated parents to maintain family relationshipsOffers comprehensive legal services to incarcerated parents, including education on parental rights, drafting of visitation and child support modification petitions, obtaining certified court orders, and advocacy for assigned counsel in family court proceedings.
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Special Education Support Services 1 activity
- Supports access to education and vocational programs for incarcerated individuals with disabilitiesProvides legal assistance to incarcerated individuals with disabilities to access academic and vocational education programs in compliance with the ADA and IDEA, including support for obtaining high school diplomas and enrolling in trade or college programs.
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financials · form 990 · fy2023
revenue
Total revenue$8.33M
Contributions & grants$8.26M99%
Program service revenue$00%
Investment income$10K0%
Other revenue$60K
expenses
Total expenses$7.92M
Program expenses82%
Admin / overhead18%
Fundraising0%
Salaries & benefits$6.44M
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$5.13M
Cash$1.21M
Investments$3K
Liabilities$2.30M
Net assets$2.83M
Liquid reserves1.8 mo
5 years on record · 2019–2023 · YoY revenue +36.3%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2023
Who runs it
paid leadership · 7
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| KAREN MURTAGH | EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR | 40 | $319K |
| HECTOR NAYO | CONTROLLER | 40 | $231K |
| JAMES BOGIN | SENIOR SUPERVISING ATTORNEY | 40 | $221K |
| JONATHAN FELDMAN | GENERAL COUNSEL | 40 | $196K |
| JAMES MILSTEIN | MANAGING ATTORNEY | 40 | $193K |
| MARIA PAGANO | SENIOR SUPERVISING ATTORNEY | 40 | $174K |
| KRIN FLAHERTY | MANAGING ATTORNEY | 40 | $164K |
board members · 18
- ALEXIS KARTERON — DIRECTOR
- ATO WILLIAMS — DIRECTOR
- BIJAN AMINI — DIRECTOR
- CLARENCE SMITH JR ESQ — DIRECTOR
- CLAUDIA ANGELOS — DIRECTOR
- DAVID C LEVEN — DIRECTOR
- DAVID COHEN ESQ — DIRECTOR
- DOROTHY KELLER — DIRECTOR
- ERIC SEIFF ESQ — DIRECTOR
- JOHN S KIERNAN ESQ — CHAIRMAN
- KRISTIN BOOTH GLEN — DIRECTOR
- LAWRENCE BARTLEY — DIRECTOR
- MARTINE M BEAMON — DIRECTOR
- NANCY RYAN — DIRECTOR
- ROBERT B GREIFINGER MD — DIRECTOR
- STEVEN ZEIDMAN — DIRECTOR
- THOMAS J CURRAN ESQ — VICE CHAIRMAN
- VICTORIA SMITH — DIRECTOR
relationships · 25
Who they work with
- Albany Law School Partner — Hosted the original Prisoners’ Legal Services clinic supervised by attorneys Lanny Walters and Lewis Oliver, which became the Albany Office of PLS.
- Berkshire Farms Partner — Collaborates with Berkshire Farms to deliver immigration services to unaccompanied children through the Unaccompanied Minors Project.
- Berkshire Farms Partner — Provides legal representation and support services to unaccompanied children held at Berkshire Farms in Canaan, New York.
- Covington & Burling LLC Partner — Co-litigant in the PLS v. DHS lawsuit challenging ICE mail policies.
- Covington & Burling LLC Partner — Legal partner in First Amendment litigation against ICE policies in Buffalo.
- DOCCS Government — Collaborates with PLS to implement the disciplinary representation pilot, including sharing disciplinary documents and scheduling legal calls.
- DOCCS Government — Defendant in litigation concerning disability discrimination in the administration of the Shock Incarceration Program.
- Department of Corrections and Community Supervision Government — Hosted DOCCS Acting Commissioner and Associate Commissioner at the Beyond the Bars ceremony.
- Disability Rights New York Partner — Co-counsel in litigation challenging inhumane conditions at Marcy Correctional Facility’s Residential Mental Health Unit.
- NYS Office of New Americans Funder — Funded PLS's Rapid Response Unit for immigration representation in multiple county jails.
- National Immigration Project Partner — Legal partner in immigration habeas corpus litigation.
- New York Bar Foundation Funder — Funds the Pro Bono Partnership Program, in part.
- New York Civil Liberties Union Partner — Co-counsel in a federal lawsuit challenging ICE policies restricting legal communications at the Buffalo ICE Detention Facility.
- New York Civil Liberties Union Partner — Co-litigant in the PLS v. DHS lawsuit challenging ICE mail policies.
- New York Community Trust Funder — Funds the Pro Bono Partnership Program, in part.
- New York State Funder — Provides funding for the pilot project to provide legal representation at Tier III disciplinary hearings.
- New York State Bar Association Partner — Supported the creation of PLS through a committee chaired by Justice Phylis Bamberger and submitted a grant application to establish the organization.
- Office of Refugee Resettlement Government — Provides legal services to unaccompanied children in ORR custody at Berkshire Farms and upon release to the Capitol Region.
- Office of Refugee and Resettlement Funder — Funded PLS's legal representation for immigrant children at Berkshire Farms in Canaan, New York.
- Oversight Board for Judiciary Civil Legal Services Funds Funder — Provides grant funding for the Family Matters Unit.
- Robert & Ethel Kennedy Human Rights Center Partner — Co-litigant in the PLS v. DHS lawsuit challenging ICE mail policies.
- Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Center Partner — Legal partner in immigration habeas corpus litigation to secure release from detention.
- Singleton Schrieber LLP Partner — Legal partner in immigration habeas corpus litigation.
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Government — Provides services to children in the custody of HHS’s Office of Refugee Resettlement.
- Vera Institute of Justice Funder — Funded PLS's expansion of legal representation for incarcerated individuals facing immigration issues starting in 2015.
strategies · 5
How they approach the work
Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.
- Due Process Advocacy in Disciplinary Proceedingsmethodology: due-process-advocacyBy ensuring fair and meaningful legal representation in prison disciplinary hearings, the organization protects constitutional rights and reduces unjust sanctions, because safeguarding due process in internal prison proceedings prevents abuses of power and promotes accountability.
- Holistic Legal Advocacy for Family and Reentry Stabilitymethodology: family-maintenance-through-legal-advocacyBy providing legal assistance that extends beyond immediate incarceration issues to include family maintenance—such as visitation rights and child support modification—the organization supports stronger family ties and smoother reentry, because preserving family connections reduces recidivism and promotes post-release stability.
- Legal Advocacy for Systemic Reformmethodology: legal-advocacy-for-systemic-changeBy providing legal representation to indigent prisoners, the organization secures individual civil and human rights while simultaneously generating legal precedents and policy changes that drive systemic reform in the criminal justice system, because strategic litigation can expose and correct structural injustices.
- Pro Bono Network with Case Readiness Supportmethodology: pro_bono_referral_networkBy referring prisoner legal cases to volunteer attorneys through a structured pro bono network and providing pre-screened documentation, the organization increases access to legal services while improving attorney preparedness and case effectiveness, because reducing administrative barriers enhances pro bono participation and case success rates.
- Specialized Legal Expertise in Corrections Lawmethodology: specialized_legal_representationBy deploying attorneys with specialized knowledge in constitutional, civil rights, and corrections law, the organization achieves more effective advocacy outcomes for incarcerated individuals, because nuanced legal issues in prison settings require domain-specific expertise to identify and litigate successfully.