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Prisoner Litigation

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Term Talk: Medina v. Planned Parenthood South Atlantic; Perttu v. Richards

Erwin Chemerinsky, Tara L. Grove, James A. Chance

October 9, 2025

Civil Rights. § 1983. Prison Litigation Reform Act. Legal experts discuss the Supreme Court's analysis of language that confers individual rights in Medina v. Planned Parenthood South Atlantic and the requirement of a jury finding when there is a factual dispute over exhaustion of remedies under the Prison Litigation Reform Act in Perttu v. Richards.

Last-Minute Absentee Voting by Last-Minute Prisoners

Robert Timothy Reagan, Margaret S. Williams, Marie Leary, Catherine R. Borden, Jessica L. Snowden, Patricia D. Breen, Jason A. Cantone

October 31, 2023

Fair Elections Ohio v. Husted (Susan J. Dlott and S. Arthur Spiegel, 1:12-cv-797) and Mays v. Husted (Michael H. Watson, 2:18-cv-1376) (S.D. Ohio)

Voter Registrations for Juvenile Offenders

Robert Timothy Reagan, Margaret S. Williams, Marie Leary, Catherine R. Borden, Jessica L. Snowden, Patricia D. Breen, Jason A. Cantone

May 24, 2023

Hamilton v. Ashland County Board of Education (Donald C. Nugent, N.D. Ohio 1:08-cv-2546)

Federal Courts’ Electronic Filing by Pro Se Litigants

Tim Reagan, Carly E. Giffin, Roy P. Germano

May 10, 2022

We learned from several dozen federal clerks of court and members of their staffs that pro se litigants are sometimes able to file electronically using the federal courts’ Case Management/Electronic Case Files (CM/ECF) system, but many courts are hesitant to allow pro se filing in CM/ECF.

Inmate Mediation Reenactment

May 23, 2018

This dramatic reenactment provides an example and insights of how mediation between a prison inmate and relevant state officials unfolds. Guided by an experienced mediator, both sides present and discuss their cases, with the goal to achieve a mutually agreed upon resolution.

Assistance to Pro Se Litigants in U.S. District Courts: A Report on Surveys of Clerks of Court and Chief Judges

Donna J. Stienstra, Jared J. Bataillon, Jason A. Cantone

January 1, 2011

This report is based on a study conducted by the Federal Judicial Center for the Judicial Conference Committee on Court Administration and Case Management.

FJC Directions, No. 9: Special Issue on Pro Se Litigation

Rya W. Zobel, David E. Rauma, William W Schwarzer, Marie Leary, Genevra Kay Loveland, Charles P. Sutelan

June 1, 1996

Articles in this issue of FJC Directions describe federal courts' experiences with pro se actions.

Habeas and Prison Litigation Case Law Update (1996-1998)

January 1, 1996

Beginning in June 1996, the Center published thirteen issues of this newsletter. It summarizes relevant appellate and district court decisions under the Prison Litigation Reform Act of 1996 and the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996.

Resource Guide for Managing Prisoner Civil Rights Litigation with Special Emphasis on the Prison Litigation Reform Act

January 1, 1996

A resource for federal judges, pro se law clerks, and others in the courts who manage prisoner pro se litigation. The guide builds on an earlier Center report, Recommended Procedures for Handling Prisoner Civil Rights Cases in the Federal Courts (rev.

Partial Payment of Filing Fees in Prisoner In Forma Pauperis Cases in Federal Courts: A Preliminary Report

Thomas E. Willging

January 1, 1984

A description of the procedures used in several district courts to adjust the filing fee to the amount of income available to a prisoner.

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