Justice Department Announces Medical Legal Partnership Project for Incarcerated Individuals
Health
The Office for Access to Justice (ATJ) and the Federal Bureau of Prisons (FBOP) have worked collaboratively to develop this partnership as the next step of a broader civil legal services initiative launched last year.
The partnership will connect medical and legal expertise to identify adults in custody (AIC) who require long-term access to post-release critical needs like housing, food security, and more. The project is part of the Department’s broader work to strengthen the safety of our communities while advancing thoughtful, evidence-informed initiatives, and reforms throughout the criminal justice system.
The MLP project will take place at Federal Prison Camp (FPC) Bryan, located in Bryan, Texas. ATJ and FBOP are planning to collaborate on the pilot initiative with Texas A&M School of Law and the Texas A&M Institute for Healthcare Access. All institutions and organizations with relevant expertise are welcome to be considered for future collaboration.
MLPs connect the expertise of lawyers and legal help with the expertise of health care professionals to comprehensively address barriers that intersect across health care and legal needs. Specifically, this MLP will include a team of law and medical professionals who will collaborate to better determine eligibility for, and ensure access to, Social Security disability relief for those who qualify, with the goal of improving long-term access to post-release critical needs and promoting successful reentry. As part of the Department’s broader civil legal services initiative, FBOP and ATJ are also working to develop and distribute self-help materials to address civil legal needs of AIC and a series of empowerment workshops for AIC focused on civil legal issues including workshops focused on family law, financial-related issues, and access to public benefits.
To highlight April as Second Chance Month, ATJ and FBOP, with support from JustUs Coordination Council, hosted a Reentry Simulation, a two-hour situational interactive learning opportunity for organizations and federal employees from various agencies to experience the challenges and barriers faced by justice-impacted people in obtaining employment, government benefits, housing, transportation, and educational opportunities. Through discussions with system-impacted subject matter experts, this experience aimed to give insight and encourage continued collaboration across government to reduce these barriers. Justice Department leadership, Acting Associate Attorney General Benjamin C. Mizer, ATJ Director Rachel Rossi, and FBOP Director Colette S. Peters provided remarks during the simulation. Previously, ATJ hosted a Reentry Simulation for high-level Justice Department and other agency officials for Second Chance Month in April 2022.