Maryland

Citizens Assisting and Sheltering the Abused (CASA) provides comprehensive services for children, teenagers, and adults in Washington County who have been affected by domestic violence, sexual assault or abuse, and rape. Services include: 24-hour hotline; crisis intervention and counseling for survivors, family, and friends; legal advocacy; educational workshops; and information and referrals for survivors of sexual assault. Fees are based on a sliding scale and no one is turned away for lack of ability to pay.

Center for Abused Persons provides services for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault in Charles County. Services include: 24-hour hotline; crisis intervention; hospital and legal accompaniment and advocacy; and individual counseling for survivors of sexual assault. Services are provided on a sliding scale, and no one is turned away for lack of ability to pay.

The Crisis Intervention Center serves residents of Calvert County who are survivors of family violence, sexual assault, and other crimes, and their loved ones. Services include: 24-hour hotlines; crisis intervention; information and referrals; shelter; individual and group counseling; advocacy and accompaniment; and support groups. All services are free and confidential.

Family Crisis Resource Center (FCRC) provides comprehensive services to survivors of domestic violence, rape, sexual assault and abuse, and incest in Allegany County. Services include: 24-hour hotline offering crisis intervention and support, as well as information and referrals to appropriate FCRC services and community resources; police, court system, and hospital advocacy and accompaniment; individual and joint counseling; legal assistance; and support groups for survivors of sexual assault. Referrals are taken from Allegany County Detention Center to provide counseling and education regarding domestic violence and sexual assault to inmates. All FCRC services are free and confidential.

For All Seasons Rape Crisis Center offers comprehensive services to survivors of rape, sexual assault, and sexual abuse in Caroline, Kent, Dorchester, Talbot, and Queen Anne’s Counties. Services include: 24-hour hotline and crisis intervention; court and hospital advocacy and accompaniment; counseling for child and adult, survivors of rape, sexual assault, and sexual abuse and and their loved ones; bilingual advocacy, interpretation, and crisis intervention for Latino/a survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault; and information and referrals. All Rape Crisis Center services are free and confidential.

Life Crisis Center provides violence prevention and crisis intervention services for survivors of dating and domestic violence, rape and sexual assault, and childhood sexual abuse, in Somerset, Wicomico, and Worcester Counties. Services include: 24-hour hotline and crisis intervention; individual and group counseling; shelter for women and children; legal assistance; medical, legal, and emergency room accompaniment for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault; anger management groups; and information and referrals. Life Crisis Center is willing to provide services to survivors in detention, but does not have any programs in the detention center at this time. Services are free or offered on a sliding scale, depending on the resources of the client. All services are confidential.

The Maryland Coalition Against Sexual Assault, Inc. (MCASA) is the federally recognized state sexual assault coalition and responsible for certifying comprehensive rape crisis/sexual assault programs to ensure services are survivor centered. MCASA’s core members are the state’s 17 rape crisis centers, and the Coalition also represents the voices of many other member professionals, programs, and individuals committed to ending sexual violence. MCASA includes the Sexual Assault Legal Institute (SALI), which provides direct legal services to survivors of all ages across the state of Maryland. MCASA is the leading public policy advocate for survivors of sexual assault in Annapolis and more information about legislative priorities, public events, and services for survivors can be found on our website.  MCASA is the statewide collective voice advocating for accessible, compassionate care for survivors of sexual crimes, and accountability for all offenders. Established in 1982 as a private, not-for-profit organization, MCASA works closely with local, state, and national organizations to address issues of sexual violence in Maryland.

Service area: survivors across the state of Maryland

Work with: MCASA’s Sexual Assault Legal Institute (SALI) provides comprehensive legal services to survivors of sexual violence statewide, as well as training and technical assistance for professionals working with survivors.

Services for survivors during incarceration include:  court accompaniment for sexual assault cases, excluding criminal defense; crisis intervention by mail or email; safety planning; criminal justice advocacy; civil legal services.

Services for survivors after release include: All of the above

Services for loved ones include: Depending on the circumstances, SALI may be able to provide legal services to loved ones who were also affected by the sexual violence.

Fees: Free

Additional Information:  SALI works to support all survivors of sexual assault.

Power Inside is a multidisciplinary program that is committed to building self-sufficiency and preventing incarceration among women and families in Baltimore through direct client services, advocacy, leadership development, and public education. Power Inside offers the following services for women during incarceration and post-release: individual assessment and referrals; case management; weekly support groups and workshops for women in jail, prison, and the community; peer support, referrals, and self-help materials for women in prison through the mail; and advocacy and support for women in prison as well as women on parole, probation, and who are awaiting trial. All services are free of charge and available to any woman who contacts Power Inside.

The Pride Center of Maryland seeks to achieve equality, understanding, and respect for the diversity of the greater Baltimore LGBTQ+ community while also providing quality support services, facilities, and professional resources for the development and well-being of individuals and groups. Pride Center of Maryland offers support groups for women of color; lesbian, bisexual, and transgender women; and for adult males who love men. Pride Center of Maryland also provides a peer counseling, information, and referral service staffed by trained peer counselors for LGBTQ+ adults and a Youth Hotline for LGBTQ+ youth ages 21 and younger. These services are available in-person, by appointment, by telephone or via the internet. To schedule an in-person appointment, call the Pride Center of Maryland office line. All services are free and confidential.

The Rape Crisis Intervention Service of Carroll County (RCIS) is a non-profit agency that provides comprehensive services to survivors of sexual violence in Carroll County. Services include: 24-hour hotline; crisis intervention; individual and group counseling; court, police, and hospital accompaniment; and information and referrals for survivors of sexual assault and their non-offending friends and family members. RCIS is willing to provide free crisis counseling to survivors of sexual assault at the Carroll County Detention Center, but does not provide services to perpetrators of sexual violence. All crisis services are free and confidential; a small contribution is requested for group counseling, but is not required.

Service area: Carroll County, MD

Work with: All survivors of sexual assault and sex trafficking victims, as well as non-offending family and friends.

Services for survivors during incarceration include: RCIS is willing to provide free crisis counseling to survivors of sexual assault at the Carroll County Detention Center but does not provide services to perpetrators of sexual violence.

Services for survivors after release include: Support groups may be offered, as staffing permits.

Services for loved ones include: All of the above

Fees:  Services are offered free of charge

The Sexual Assault Crisis Center provides services to survivors of sexual assault and to their family and friends in Annapolis and Anne Arundel County. Services include: 24-hour anonymous hotline; crisis intervention and counseling for adult and child survivors of sexual assault, as well as their family and friends; hospital, medical, and legal accompaniment; support groups; and information and referrals to other agencies and resources to assist survivors. The Sexual Assault Crisis Center is able to respond to letters and phone calls from survivors of sexual abuse behind bars to provide support and information. The first six counseling sessions are free, and a sliding scale is used for on-going counseling. Donations are encouraged, but not required for support groups. All other Sexual Assault Crisis Center services, including crisis intervention and accompaniment, are free.

TurnAround, Inc. is a private non-profit organization dedicated to serving survivors of rape, child sexual assault, domestic violence, and childhood sexual abuse through its three locations in Baltimore City and Baltimore County. Services for survivors of sexual assault include: 24-hour hotline and crisis intervention; Emergency Room Companion Program, offering 24-hour accompaniment, support, and information at the hospital; individual and group counseling for adult, teenage, and child survivors, as well as their families; as well as information and referrals to other needed services, such as legal assistance. With the cooperation of correctional facilities, TurnAround can offer on-site counseling, case management, and support groups for survivors of sexual abuse in jail or prison. All TurnAround services are free.

The Inmate Grievance Office reviews all grievances filed by state prisoners who have complaints against prison officials and correctional officers or regarding prison policies and conditions of confinement. Inmates with grievances against prison officials (not against other inmates) should write to the address above. Inmates must first exhaust all appropriate administrative services offered at their prisons. Those grievances that are not administratively dismissed for procedural or substantive reasons are scheduled for hearings to be conducted by Administrative Law Judges. The hearings are held in correctional institutions throughout the state. Some hearings are conducted by videoconferencing. The presiding judges issue their decisions in writing. If a judge concludes that a grievance has merit and recommends specific remedies, the written decision is forwarded to the Secretary of the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services for review and final action.

The Internal Investigative Unit conducts criminal and administrative investigations of serious misconduct within the DPSCS. In addition to conducting investigations within statutory authority, the agency is the Department’s liaison with allied federal, state and local law enforcement agencies providing investigative services and support to their investigations.

The Office of the Inspector General (OIG) is a part of the Office of the Secretary of the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services. The OIG is responsible for conducting a full range of independent and objective audits, inspections, management analyses and investigations. These assessments help to safeguard and efficiently manage the department’s resources, operations and business functions, and to prevent and detect fraud, waste, and abuse. This office also coordinates the department’s legislative audit response process, and provides technical assistance and advisory services to its audit customers. Inmates who have been sexually assaulted in detention can write to the OIG to report the abuse and any concerns regarding the handling of investigations into such abuse.

Current or former inmates can write to the ACLU of Maryland at the above address to request legal and proactive assistance to improve the conditions of confinement and prison official misconduct. The ACLU will ONLY respond to written letters. Writers should explain the situation, what administrative action was requested and/or taken, and what kind of assistance the writer requests. The ACLU may provide services by asking for a change in conditions of confinement or medication, etc., and on occasion will take a case if it may bring about institutional change. They do not handle criminal work regarding the purpose for incarceration.

All types of cases are handled. There is a $30 fee for a half-hour consultation with an attorney. Although no pro bono programs are currently offered, callers meeting a financial hardship requirement may be eligible for post-consultation reduced fees if they opt for further legal assistance.

You will be interviewed over the phone by an attorney to determine the nature of the problem. If necessary, you will be referred to an attorney in your area who has experience with your type of legal problem (including criminal law cases). A $35 fee will be charged for a thirty minute in-person consultation with the lawyer. If further legal service is required, fee arrangements will be made between you and your lawyer.

The Public Library acts as the Lawyer Referral Service for the Caroline County Bar Association. A reference librarian will put you in touch with an attorney who handles your type of case (criminal and civil cases included). The attorney will then conduct a half-hour consultation session for a flat rate of $25. If you cannot afford any type of consultation, ask the librarian for a pro bono referral for your case, available through the statewide Maryland Legal Assistance Network (MLAN). You must qualify financially to receive pro bono services.

Volunteer attorneys, all members of a county bar, are referred to callers based on their experience with different kinds of cases. All case types are handled. There is a $25 fee for a half-hour consultation with an attorney. Currently there are no pro bono or organized reduced fee services available through the referral services, though individuals may try to arrange fees with their attorneys post-consultation if they opt for further assistance.

No pro bono or reduced fee programs available. Criminal and personal injury cases are handled on a contingency fee basis. If you have financial resources, call to see if they can handle your case type.

All case types are handled. There is a $40 fee for a half-hour consultation. No pro bono services are currently offered. If callers wish to continue their attorney consultation past the first half-hour, they are generally subject to regular attorney fees, approximately $200 per hour but vary according to lawyer and type of case. Payments are made at time of call either through a mailed-in money order, check, or credit card.

The Jewish Legal Services Clinic is open ONLY on the second Monday of each month, 7:00- 8:30 p.m. This walk-in clinic offers services to mostly Jewish clients who meet low income eligibility. Volunteer attorneys conduct a half-hour free consultation with clients handling all (non-fee generating) cases and sometimes give referrals for pro bono or reduced fee legal assistance. Occasionally Russian translators are available.

All case types are handled. There is a $39.95 fee for a half-hour consultation. No pro bono services are currently offered. If callers wish to continue their attorney consultation past the first half-hour, they are generally subject to regular attorney fees, approximately $175 per hour but vary according to lawyer and type of case. Some attorneys will offer reduced fees for civil cases. Clients facing financial hardship who cannot afford the initial consultation fee or are looking for pro bono or reduced fee services are referred to or should contact the Prince George’s County Law Foundation at (301) 864-8354, Tuesday-Friday 9 a.m.-12 p.m. The Lawyer Referral Service for these counties also will connect you to the national Legal Advice line. Callers pay a flat rate of $34.95 for legal advice with an attorney at no time limit on the call. However, these attorneys only give legal advice and are not available for hire or further assistance. All case types handled.

SALI provides direct civil legal services for victims and survivors of sexual assault regarding: • College Administrative Hearings • Privacy Issues • Peace and Protective Orders • Family Law Matters (intimate partner assault) • Employment • Housing • Crime Victims Compensation • Referrals for Tort Cases • Any other civil matter relating to sexual assault (some limitations regarding incest).