Pennsylvania Institutional Law Project

The Pennsylvania Institutional Law Project (PILP) is a non-profit organization established in 1981 to protect and advance the constitutional and civil rights of people incarcerated and institutionalized in Pennsylvania. The organization provides civil legal assistance free of charge, focusing on low-income individuals whose rights have been violated within institutions such as prisons, jails, state hospitals, state centers, immigration detention centers, halfway houses, and community living arrangements. PILP was incorporated as a nonprofit with a Board of Directors in 1995 and is part of the Pennsylvania Legal Aid Network.

PILP offers various legal services, including direct representation in individual civil cases, class representation for groups sharing common problems, and group representation for low-income organizations concerned with institutional issues. The firm also engages in legislative and administrative advocacy, tracking initiatives and advocating for clients' perspectives. Additionally, PILP provides information and referrals, offering self-help and legal materials at no cost.

The firm addresses a range of issues, such as restrictive visitation policies, placement of mentally ill inmates in solitary confinement, prolonged shackling, excessive use of force, sexual assault within institutions, prison overcrowding, freedom of religion, unlawful shackling of women during childbirth, and healthcare access for incarcerated individuals. PILP maintains three offices across Pennsylvania, located in Philadelphia, Lewisburg, and Pittsburgh, to serve the eastern, central, and western regions of the state.