CIVIL RIGHTS RESOURCE GUIDE FOR INCARCERATED TEXANS 2025

This civil rights resource guide is designed to help people incarcerated in Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) prisons — and their loved ones — understand and advocate for their rights. 

Our guide covers how to:

• Request medical or mental health care.
• Ask for disability accommodations.
• File grievances and lawsuits.
• Reach out to legal aid organizations.

The guide was authored by the ACLU of Texas, with support from Marshall-Motley Scholar Naraya Price and the University of Texas at Austin’s Civil Rights Clinic. It has been endorsed by Grassroots Leadership, Pure Justice, Texas Center for Equality & Justice, Texas Civil Rights Project, Texas Defenders Service, and Texas Incarcerated Families Association.

The guide, while not legal advice, provides information on how to take action if one’s rights have been violated while incarcerated.