Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia, Community Defender Division, Institutional Services Program

The Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia (PDS) provides and promotes quality legal representation to indigent adults and children facing a loss of liberty in the District of Columbia and thereby protects society’s interest in the fair administration of justice. PDS’s Community Defender Division operates the Institutional Services Program, whose services are available to DC Code Offenders who are housed in U.S. Bureau of Prison facilities across the country as well as prisoners confined in D.C. correctional facilities. PDS provides legal advice and assistance regarding conditions of confinement, including living conditions; disciplinary matters; access to adequate medical, dental, and psychiatric care; sentencing calculations; confinement to special housing units; visitation issues; and the right to practice one’s religion. Assistance with criminal matters or detainers may be provided by other PDS divisions. PDS also distributes free informational memos on various prison law topics.